Fang of the Protector
by TakumaAngel
Summary: When Alexis is almost raped, Sartorius comes to her aid in the form of a wolf. But when one man escapes his deadly jaws, he must stick around longer than planned. But her parent's can never know the truth so he must remain a wild animal. Better than sound
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I know this story is a little weird, but I want to ask you to give it a chance. I don't like to do stuff that anyone could think of. I mean, it gets boring reading fan fictions that are relatively the same, right? Don't get me wrong, I love reading everyone's stories. They're all great! You're all exhalent writers. I just like to change things around. And although this might seem strange, it gets a lot better. Trust me. So please review and feel free to express any and all thoughts. Flames too. I want to know what you think.

"Thanks for having me over, Jas."

"No problem. I'm glad you could make it. We'll see you tomorrow then?"

"You know it."

"Bye Lex!"

Alexis walked down the side walk in the dark night. She, Jasmine and Mindy had had their usual girls' night but it had run a bit longer than she had expected. It was almost midnight and the air was crisp and cool. But no matter. Her house was only three blocks away. That's why she never bothered to drive. It would be a waste. Besides, you could never get too much exercise.

But for some reason, tonight seemed awfully cold and dark and ominous. She wondered why the full moon wasn't very bright. And even though there were many city lights, something felt wrong. She stopped when she got to an intersection and made sure no cars were coming. All clear. She kept moving. Then she made a left turn as always and froze. There were no street lights. Well there were, but none of them were on. How strange. She began to walk again her heart racing. Something was really wrong.

She walked down the deserted street for what seemed like hours, but in truth was only a few minutes until she saw a black shape beside her. She jerked her head around to see a dark alley. That wasn't good. Dark alleys and moving figures were not good signs.

Alexis turned and began running back the way she had come. She'd go back to Jasmine's place and have her take her home. She ran past another alley and was grabbed from behind. She would have screamed but a hand had covered her mouth. She struggled to get free from whoever had grabbed her 

but it was useless. They were too strong. Now she was being pulled back into the alley and she was powerless to stop her attacker. She couldn't see anything in this empty blackness, but she felt numerous hands on her pulling her back and holding her captive.

Eventually, a little bit of moonlight shone between the tops of the buildings around her and she now saw six men around her but she couldn't see their faces because it was too dark. Her eyes widened, her heart thundered in her chest. Oh God. What were they going to do to her? Her answer came sooner than she intended. Two of the six men held her, her arms behind her back. The man on her right had one of his feet in front of hers and the one on her left was doing the same so that her legs were spread apart. Then another man stepped up to her putting his hands on her hips, his mouth at her ear.

"I finally have you," he said, his voice harsh and rugged. No. Oh, God, no. This could not be happening. She gasped as his hands slipped beneath the band of her jeans. She tried to pull away, but she was trapped. She squeezed her eyes shut. _Help!_ she screamed inside her head. _Help! Somebody, please!_

With a yell and a thud, she felt the hands that bound her slip from her body. She opened her eyes to see one man on the ground and two more drop beside him. Then, someone was in front of her. All she could see from behind was a white coat and long, dark hair. Then they turned and she gasped. He took her hand.

"Let's go!" he yelled, dragging her along behind him as they ran down the alley. She obeyed trying as best as she could to keep up with him. He led her down the dark alley and around a turn but stopped. "Damn," he muttered. A dead end. He turned to face the way they had come, pushing Alexis behind him. The men were there now, all with guns pointed at him.

"Kill him!" one yelled. Sartorius looked to his left in time to see a metal bar. He grabbed it as they started a round of rapid fire, twirling it like a baton so that the bullets ricocheted off of it. Alexis was astonished. Then, once they had stopped their fire, he grabbed the bottom of the bar and leapt for them, but they jumped out of the way, but he swung it around like a sword knocking them to the ground or back toward the wall. He grabbed Alexis' hand again, the crowbar in the other and ran back the other way. When one of the men got in his way, he'd knock them down again.

Then, from behind, someone took hold of Alexis' arm and Sartorius swung his leg around to knock him back. Unfortunately, another man was able to get the bar from his hand and through it back. Gunshots rang through the piercing darkness as Sartorius tried to flee with Alexis, to get her away from these men. Alexis could have sworn he'd been shot, but she must have been mistaken because he wasn't slowing down any.

Suddenly Sartorius was attacked and he had no choice but to let go of Alexis to defend himself. Punch after punch was thrown at him but he managed to stop them. He took hold of both of the man's fists and threw him towards the wall only to be attacked by two more men. He managed to push one away but the other pinned him against the wall, his hand on Sartorius' throat. He gasped for air as he tried to find a way out of this. Then he braced himself against the wall with his arms, lifted his legs and kicked the other man off of him. The man landed on the ground with a thud as Sartorius managed a back-flip and landed on one knee.

When he saw Alexis being dragged back by four men, he quickly rose and met them with his fists. When he'd get rid of one, another would join in. He tried his hardest to keep them away from the girl but it was useless.

"Run!" he commanded when he had cleared a path out for her. At first she just stood there. "GO!" Finally she obeyed heading for the main road. Eventually Sartorius was able to push them all back and he ran after her. He took her hand again and ran out of the alley and around the corner back to the lighted streets, but the men were on their tail. They took another turn and Sartorius thought they had lost them. But then a black mustang pulled up behind them, the six men inside. They were Hell-bent on this weren't they?

Sartorius stopped just barely long enough to throw Alexis on his back, then he took off again. He went down alley ways, streets, but the car was always there. He ducked into a small alley he knew the car couldn't squeeze through. The car stopped for a moment then sped off again, but Sartorius kept on running. Now they came to a seven foot fence that separated the alley into two. There was no way he could climb over it with Alexis on his back. He looked around and saw a fire escape. The ladder wasn't all the way down, but it would do.

"Hold on!" he told her before he let go of her to jump up onto the ladder and pulled himself up onto the landing. He climbed up to the next landing and went over to the edge and getting up on the railing. Alexis screamed as he jumped down onto a dumpster, then to the ground and began to run again.

"Don't you have a car?" asked Alexis as they sped out of the alley and took a turn down a tree-lined road.

"Do you?" She didn't reply. "I didn't think so." Within seconds the black mustang was behind him again. Sartorius ran down the road then veered right into the dense trees. He knew they'd have to get out of the car to follow them.

Alexis wasn't sure what his plans were if he even had a plan. "I'm no expert, but isn't going into a dark forest the last thing you want to do if you're being chased by criminals?"

"I know what I'm doing," he replied and she couldn't really argue with that. She might feel sick with fear, but she had to trust him. He'd gotten them this far.

Just as Sartorius had predicted, the six men had ditched the car to follow their escaped victim. He stopped when he came to wide trench and turned letting Alexis off his back. Now the men were upon them.

"You're trapped now," said the one man who seemed to be the leader. Sartorius said nothing. "Well what are you waiting for," he said to the other men as he pulled his gun. "Fire at will."

So they did.

Sartorius pushed Alexis out of the way and they landed on the ground. Sartorius rose and crouched over her the way a wolf would stand over its prey, his teeth bared.

He leapt at the men through the gunshots somehow missing them. He knocked three to the ground while the others shot at him. He swung around and managed to knock the gun out of one of their hands. Then he punched that same guy in the face knocking him back. He spun around to grab the arm of another man and flung him in the same direction. Next he brought up his left leg to kick one man and punch another. He was taking them out left and right but they wouldn't quit. Two of them managed to grab his arms and 

pin him to a tree but he put his feet at its base throwing his weight and his arms forward to fling them onto the ground.

The other four were going for Alexis again and he ran to intercept them. He managed to get to her first and she screamed as he pushed her down into the trench. The men came after him now and he knocked them all back with force. They all tried to pick themselves up off the ground and saw Sartorius standing at the edge of the trench. His back was hunched, his teeth bared, his eyes deadly.

Alexis lifted her head off of the trench floor and saw him standing there. His hair and his coat began to swirl around him and his back became even more arched. Slowly he began to change. His arms and legs grew shorter, his body became covered in fur, her face transformed into that of a dog, his ears pointed, a tail formed.

Alexis gasped as the dark blue wolf (an actual wolf, not a wolf man) leapt through the bullets at the men who had attacked her. He was shot more than once, but even though he bled, it didn't seem to hurt him. His right front paw was extended, the claws like knives and they went right through the heart of the leader and out his back. When the wolf removed its limb from the dying man, he fell to the ground. The others began to shoot at him but the bullets did nothing. The beast tore them apart, ripping them open, destroying them. He latched onto their necks with his deadly jaws and tore their heads from their bodies; anything it took to kill them.

He had killed all but one, a tall blond man in his thirties. They stood facing one another. The man looked at the wolf in absolute terror, the wolf staring back at him with absolute malice and hatred, bloodlust in his eyes. He leapt for the man who ran in complete fear. He chased him for a few yards then stopped suddenly exhausted. He could go for now.

When the man was out of sight, the wolf bent his head, blood pouring out of his body from numerous bullet holes. He was breathing heavily, growling, not panting. He lifted his head and looked over his right shoulder. Then he turned and made his way slowly back to the trench. He looked down to see Alexis cowering against the wall of the trench, tears spilling from her eyes as she sobbed silently.

The wolf carefully climbed down beside her but she didn't look at him. He whined softly and nuzzled her face with him muzzle. Alexis opened her eyes, 

a little afraid, and looked down at him, his eyes once feral, now gentile. The tears came again and she hugged the wolf's neck. He had saved her. She was so afraid and he had come to save her. He rubbed his head against hers in reassurance, returning the hug.

Then he pulled away and she let him go. She watched as he turned from wolf to man once more, and suddenly, Sartorius was there, kneeling beside her. He was still covered in blood as the wolf had been and Alexis felt sick again.

"It's alright," he said, taking her into his arms as she began to fall. "Everything is going to be okay." That was the last thing she heard before the blackness overtook her.

Sartorius stood and lifted Alexis up into his arms. He had to take her home so she could rest. So off he walked back out of the forest and onto the main road.


	2. Chapter 2

It took about half an hour for Sartorius to reach Alexis' place. He had no idea where she lived, but fortunately he was able to follow her scent. His wounds had healed but there was still blood on his shirt. It didn't matter though. He had to get her home safe.

Soon he was at the end of the sidewalk that led to a large, brick house. He stopped and looked at it. Through one window he could see a light from a television in the living room and through another, he saw a kitchen light on. He could also hear a microwave and the smell of popcorn filled his nostrils. She certainly had a devoted family. It was nearly one in the morning and they were up waiting for her.

A bit hesitantly he made his way up to the front door, Alexis still unconscious in his arms.

XxXxX

Alex, Laura and Atticus always stayed up whenever Alexis was out for the evening. They did the same for all of them. It did get boring and they wanted to go to sleep but they didn't. So tonight they sat watching the UK Soccer Tournament on E.S.P.N.

"Hey, at least it's an interesting match," commented Alex.

"I'm getting worried about Alexis though," said Laura. She's never out this late. And if she got held up for some reason, she'd have called to let us know what was going on."

"Mom's got a point," said Atticus heading into the kitchen to retrieve his popcorn from the microwave. He shook up the bag before opening it and pouring it into a large bowl. Then he poured a bunch of salt on top. He was about to take the bowl back into the living room when he heard footsteps out on the sidewalk. "Mom! Dad!" called Atticus. "Lexi's home!"

"Oh, thank God," breathed Laura as she and her husband rushed to the door. They all stopped when they looked out the window and saw a tall man with long, dark blue hair carrying Alexis up the front steps to the porch. Laura gasped and Alex quickly opened the door to see what had happened to his daughter.

"My God, what happened," he demanded.

"My baby," cried Laura. She and Alex went to retrieve Alexis from the arms of this strange man. "What did you do to her?"

Sartorius didn't want to answer but he had to oblige. "She was attacked by six men. Luckily I found her before they could do her any harm."

Laura looked as if she was about to have a heart attack.

Atticus couldn't believe his eyes. No. It couldn't be. How did he…? Atticus stood aside to let his parents take Alexis into the house.

"Please, come in," said Laura, and Sartorius wasn't sure if he should. But he eventually followed the girl's parents into the living room where they lay her on the couch, her head propped up on a pillow.

Atticus watched Sartorius walk behind them, an expression of uneasiness clouding his features. He did not want this man in his house, nor did he like the fact that he had touched his sister in any way. Somehow, he didn't believe that this man had saved her. Reluctantly he entered the living room but stayed by the doorway.

"Will she be alright?" asked Alexis' mother horrified at her daughter's unconscious state.

"She should be fine," replied Sartorius. "She suffered no injuries that I can tell. Maybe a few scratches, but nothing serious. She's just in shock."

"If you hurt her," growled Alex dangerously.

"I swear to you, I never laid a hand on her."

"For your sake, you'd better not be lying."

"Alex," said Laura. "We owe him our daughter's life."

Sartorius didn't seem to be affected by being accused. He'd predicted as much. He'd do the same thing if some strange man walked up to his door with his daughter unconscious in his arms. It was a natural reaction.

Alex didn't seem to want to believe her, but he settled down and his voice became composed. "Who were they?"

"I wish I knew."

"Where are they? What did they want with her?"

Sartorius _really_ didn't want to answer that. Hi looked down at her face as she now rested peacefully. "Her virginity."

Laura covered her mouth. Alex's right hand balled up into a fist. "How did you know she was-? You put your hands on her didn't you?!"

Sartorius put his hands up defensively. "No, I'd never do such a thing. I swear it. I was only trying to say it in the easiest way possible. I meant no offense."

"Alex," said Laura holding him back as he was about pick a fight.

"If you're lying, so help me God, I'll kill you," growled her father. Sartorius' arms were at his sides again and he glanced at the girl through the corner of his eye. He looked back at her parents.

"I'll take my leave now," he said, his voice still calm. "I wish her well." With that, he turned and made his way out of the living room and into the main hall.

"Atticus," called Laura. "Show him the door, please."

Reluctantly, Atticus obeyed his mother's command and followed Sartorius to the door. "Wait," he said quietly as the other man made to turn the knob. Sartorius looked at him over his right shoulder. "What really happened? How did you save her? Or did you? Surely six men wouldn't be afraid of one nutcase and a helpless girl," he added bitterly.

Sartorius regarded him with anger in his eyes. He had already assumed that he wouldn't be welcome with open arms, but he didn't deserve that. "You're welcome," he said simply as he opened the door and walked back out into the night, closing it behind him. Atticus stood and watched out the window as he made his way down the walk toward the road. At least he was gone. So he turned and went to join his parents and sister.

XxXxX

Sartorius had just turned off of their walk and had begun down the road when he stopped. He looked down at himself, his eyes angry again. What was he thinking? He couldn't leave her. That man was still on the run. And Sartorius knew that he'd be back. He had seen it in his eyes. No. He couldn't leave Alexis. He just couldn't. He clenched his fists. Damn that wretch.

With a snarl and a growl, the wolf leapt up over the fence and into the shadows.

A/N: FYI: Sartorius doesn't want to be there. He wants to leave but he knows he can't. And…He's sort of cursing he protective streak. You'll see what I mean later on.

Please, please, please review! !!


	3. Chapter 3

Alexis awoke to feel heat on her skin. It felt wonderful, like she had been in a cold darkness for an eternity. She opened her eyes to bright golden sunshine streaming through her window and warming her body. She could hear birds chirping and the smell of sweet grass and sage filled her nostrils. She sat up. She was in bed. She was wearing her nightgown. What had happened? Was it all just a dream?

She climbed out of bed and walked over to the window. She remembered leaving Jasmine's the night before; remembered being attacked. She saw Sartorius saving her…the dog…he was the dog…

No, that was ridiculous. People couldn't turn into dogs. That just wasn't possible.

She left her room and went downstairs hoping to find something to eat. She was about to enter the kitchen but stopped. Her parents and brother were there, Atticus making himself some toast.

"I still don't trust him," said Alex. "Something about him doesn't seem right."

"Alex, he saved our daughter's life. We should be grateful to him."

"Criminals aren't beyond doing making it sound like they were the hero just to clear their name. He did something to her. How else could he know she was a virgin?"

"There's really only one way to find out."

"Atticus!"

"What? I'm just sayin'. Look, I don't like him and I don't think he's the most righteous person either, but I don't think he'd do something like that to her."

"For your information," said Laura addressing her husband again. "I checked her last night when I changed her into her nightgown and she was fine. No one had touched her."

"She wasn't red or anything?"

"No. I'd know if my own daughter was hurt," she said crossing her arms.

"Well I still don't think that guy is innocent," said Alex. "How did he fight off six men anyway? That had to be a lie."

"I can't understand that part either," said Atticus. I mean, I saw blood on his shirt, but it didn't look like he'd been injured."

"We'll just have to ask her," said Laura. "And I don't care if either of you like it, I'm going to try and find him. I want to at least thank him for saving her, however he managed it."

"We don't even know the guy's name," said Alex.

"I'll find out who he is."

Atticus knew of course, but he didn't think it wise to tell his parents that the man that brought their daughter home was the same man who'd brainwashed her three years ago.

Alex turned and sighed as he ran his hand across his face before entering the living room.

Alexis waited a few moments before she went out into the kitchen. "Morning," she said a bit sleepily.

Laura and Atticus came over to hug her. "Oh, sweetie, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"I'm glad you're alright, Sis."

Laura ushered her into the living room where her father stood glaring out the big picture window. "Come, darling, sit down," she said seating her daughter on the couch. She kneeled down in front of Alexis, her hands on either side of her face. "Tell us what happened last night. Do you remember?"

Alexis was hesitant. "I…I was walking home from Jas's house and I had turned onto Fifth Street when I was attacked by six men."

"Do you have any idea who they were?"

She shook her head. "It was too dark for me to see them."

"There was a strange man who brought you home. He said he saved you. Who was he?"

A strange man? Had Sartorius brought her back? He must have. Oh geeze. How was she supposed to explain how he'd saved her? Say that he came and single-handedly fended off six men in a dark alley, shot off like a bullet with her on his back, took them into the woods where he'd changed into a beast, dog, thing and slaughtered them all? Yeah, that was real lovely. She'd just have to make something up.

"I don't know. He just…showed up out of nowhere…there were others with him. I don't remember…It's all a blur…"

"So you didn't recognize any of them?"

She shook her head again. "No." Laura sighed.

"Damn it, why won't that thing leave?" they all turned to Alex who was still glaring out the window.

"What is it, Dad?" asked Alexis.

"It's some kind of dog," said Atticus.

"Yeah," said Alex. "And it's been circling the house since I woke up. I think it might be rabid."

"Where?" Alexis got up and walked to the window. She gasped. "Sartorius," she whispered.

"What?" said Alex looking down at her.

"N-Nothing."

Alex's gaze returned to the dog that was two stories below them. "It must be feral. If so, there's only one thing to do with a feral animal." He turned and began walking to his study where he kept his gun safe.

Alexis gasped again and clutched at her father's arm. "No! Dad, please don't shoot it!"

"Alexis, it's a wild animal. And the only thing more dangerous than a wild animal is a rabid one."

"How do you know it's rabid?"

"Animals don't circle people's houses unless there's something wrong with them. You should know that by now."

Alexis looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Please, don't kill him."

Alex looked down at her and saw the desperation in her eyes. He sighed. "Fine. I won't shoot it. Yet. But if that thing's still hear by this evening, I'll have no choice. Agreed?"

"But-"

"Agreed?"

Alexis bit her lip. "Agreed," she sighed. He father walked off and she stared out the window. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

It was three in the afternoon and Alexis was sitting on the couch reading a book while Atticus sad beside her watching a baseball game. Alex was in his study working on some papers and Laura was in the kitchen getting ready to start dinner. Things had cooled down now and everyone seemed to be back to their old selves again.

"The mail man just went by," called Laura looking in the freezer for a vegetable.

"I'll get it," said Alexis rising to her feet and heading for the door. Alex heard her and jumped up out of his chair to go after her.

"Oh, no you won't," he said grabbing her arm. "That _thing _is still out there."

"Dad, its fine. He just went around the other side of the house. I'll be to the mail box and back before he comes around the front again." She pulled her arm free and went out the door.

"Alexis," her father called after her, but she didn't listen to him. She went down to the mail box, retrieved the envelopes that were in it, and headed back to the house.

Sartorius had been here all night and had been watching the house closely all day. He'd never stayed a wolf for this long before and it was getting tedious. He was also getting hungry. Damn that man. Why hadn't he killed him when he had the chance? He gave a low growl of exasperation. Then he lifted his head. A door? He turned and headed back around to the front of 

the house and stopped at the corner. Alexis was going back to the house. She must have gotten the mail. He watched as she made her way up the walk. Then she stopped as if sensing his presence and turned to look at him. Her parents and brother were in the doorway.

Alexis looked at the wolf. She knew who he was. She wanted to thank him. Her lips formed the word _'come' _and she silently willed him to walk over to her. But he just stood there staring at her. _'Please', _she mouthed. But still, he did not come.

Sartorius knew what she wanted, but he wasn't going to do it. He was no one's pet. He didn't just come whenever he was called. He saw the desperation in her eyes. Again, he gave an exasperated growl and slowly padded over to her, his head down. He saw what her father had in his hand. Of course, it wouldn't kill him, but it would give him away.

Alex couldn't watch any longer. He pointed the gun at the wolf. "Alexis get out of there, now!"

"Dad, put the gun away! He's not going to hurt anything."

Alex was reluctant, but Laura pushed his hand down to keep him from shooting.

The wolf came closer and Alexis smiled down at him. "Thank you," she whispered so that only he could hear her. She reached out a hand and touched his face. He growled, a little annoyed, but thankfully Alex didn't hear. He backed away, his eyes angry. He bared his teeth briefly with a small snarl, then turned and ran off around the back of the house.

Alexis was left stunned. What was wrong with him? Was he mad at her? She hadn't done anything. She sat there shocked. She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, Alexis," said her father. "Let's go back inside."

Reluctantly she stood and followed him up to the porch. She took one last look in the direction the wolf had run, then entered the house.

Sartorius ran down the hill behind the house and into the woods and stopped. He glared into the trees. What was that? He looked down and stared at his reflection in a puddle. He growled at it. He was no person's pet! No one's!

He jerked his head up and his ears pricked forward at the sound of birds. He growled and bounded after them. He chased them for a few yards then jumped up and got a hold of one with his mouth. It squealed as his jaws sank into it, its fragile bones cracking. He lowered his head as he ate it, savoring the taste of blood and fresh meat.

When he was finished, he stared down at the ground covered in blood and feathers, his heart thundering in his chest. He had rarely had to kill. He'd never had to be in this form for so long before. It was already wearing on his nerves. He felt angry, yet he really had no idea why.

He closed his mouth and looked up ahead into the woods. He felt like running; like getting out of here. He looked back at the house for a moment, then loped deeper into the shady forest.


	4. Chapter 4

"Well, I haven't seen that dog around anymore," said Alex as he stared out the window for what seemed like the thousandth time that day.

"He probably went home," said Atticus.

"Hopefully."

Alexis sat stretched out on the couch watching her father. She knew Sartorius wouldn't have hurt her, but no one else seemed convinced. Though she still didn't understand why he'd run away from her. And now she had no idea where he had gone. Hopefully Atticus was right and he had gone home. Perhaps he merely wanted to check on her. But if that were the case, then why hadn't he come as himself? Why had he remained a wolf?

Sartorius had apparently brought her home last night while she was unconscious. From the conversation she had overheard that morning, it was obvious that he wasn't welcome. And she knew that Atticus remembered him; the way he talked, it was clear that he still hated him. Perhaps Sartorius had felt unwelcome and so decided not to show himself. That made sense. But that still didn't explain his behavior that afternoon.

Oh well, some things just couldn't be explained. And now that he was gone, she doubted she'd ever see him again.

"Alexis! Jasmine and Mindy are here!" called Atticus. Alexis jumped up went into the main entryway to greet them.

"Alexis!" they shouted hugging her. "We heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"Fine, but…how did you guys hear?"

"Your mom called my parents this morning to see if we knew anything," said Jasmine. "My mom said she had no idea what had happened and neither did we."

"We were so worried about you," said Mindy.

"Yeah," said Jasmine, her hands on her hips. "You should have let me drive you home last night. You're never walking anywhere again. If I catch you walking farther than your mailbox and back, you're going to be in big trouble, missy."

"Relax, Jas. Something tells me those guys aren't coming back." She assumed they were all dead. She didn't know that one of them had escaped the wolf's deadly fangs.

"That doesn't matter. There are more men out there with the same crazy ideas as those guys."

"That's true."

"So you see my point."

Alexis didn't really want to talk about this in front of her family so she suggested that they go up to her room. The girls sat on her while she sat Indian-style on the flour.

"So, what exactly happened last night?" asked Mindy.

Alexis bent her head and stared down at her hands in her lap. "I don't really remember much."

"My mom said that some strange man saved you and brought you home," said Jasmine. "What did he look like?"

She shrugged. "I don't really know. I couldn't see. It was too dark."

"Did he sound like a knight in shining armor?" asked Mindy.

"Well…"

"Trust me, I saw him. He was no knight in shining armor." They all turned to see Atticus standing in the doorway, his face unpleasant. "If anything, he's one of the least righteous people I've ever met."

"Huh?" Jasmine and Mindy looked at him questioningly. Alexis glared at him.

"Quite frankly, I don't care what he looks like or if he's not so righteous in your book. He saved me, and I'm grateful to him."

"That doesn't make him any more noble."

Alexis stood outraged at his quick judgments. "Well it doesn't matter what you think! Without him, who knows where I'd be?!"

She slammed the door in his face, but not before he caught the lie in her eyes. She had recognized Sartorius and was covering for him out of 

gratitude. That's why she hadn't told their parents; because she knew they'd be livid when they found out. He wasn't going to tell them, but he wouldn't let her forget it.

Back in Alexis' room, the two girls were staring at her. "Uh, am I missing something?" said Jasmine.

"No." She wasn't about to tell them who had saved her either because she knew that they'd react in the same way her brother had.

XxX

Sartorius walked through the dark night beneath the trees. He preferred being human, but being a wolf made him feel free. Never had experienced this kind of freedom before. Running was like flying, and the moon seemed to give him strength and solace.

As he walked, the house came into view. When he got closer to the edge of the forest, he stopped and gazed up at it. At least he had calmed down from this afternoon. He hated to give up his freedom, but slowly he began to walk to the front of the house, his fur shimmering in the moonlight. When he reached the garage, he peered up at the second story window to its left. He knew that was her room.

He climbed up the trellis and leapt onto the balcony outside her window and peered in at the sleeping beauty that laid there. She was safe for now. But he would not leave.

He leapt from the banister and to the ground. Then he went to the front porch, mounted the steps and laid upon the cool concrete. He looked up at the moon as it shone brightly in the black heavens. For now, he was content to rest. The wolf closed his eyes and entered a peaceful slumber, his mind filled with snowy bliss.


	5. Chapter 5

Alexis was the first one up the next morning. Of course, she hadn't gotten that much sleep last night. Her mind had been too preoccupied to focus on getting any rest. She kept thinking about Sartorius. She wondered where he was right now. Had he become human again? Had he gone home? Would she ever see him again? Would she ever truly get the chance to thank him?

Again, her answers came sooner than expected. She was headed out to get the morning paper when she stopped at the window beside the door. There on the porch slept the wolf, peaceful and surreal. For a moment, she was confused. Why _hadn't _he gone home? Why was he still here? Was there something wrong? Was he hurt?

Her mind resolved, she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch closing it behind her. She crouched down beside his head, her hand outstretched to touch him, but she wasn't so sure she should. Even if he meant her no harm, it was apparent that his behavior was unpredictable considering the way he'd growled at her yesterday.

"Sartorius?" she whispered afraid of both startling him and waking the others.

The wolf slept soundly, dreaming of nothing, seeing only a calm blackness. Then the white fluff swirled around him again as he felt himself being pulled back to reality. Then his name was called. He saw her face in his mind. He was not fully awake, but he was slowly making his way back to consciousness.

Then his name was called again. _'Sartorius? I want to talk to you. Please wake up.' _

Slowly, he opened his eyes. There was no one in front of him. Again, his name was called. His ear twitched to the left at the sound and his eyes followed. She was there beside him, her eyes full of curiosity and concern.

The wolf felt better than he had the day before. He had run until late in the night and he'd been able to rest his weary senses. But he still was not in the greatest of moods. Sartorius wondered if it was just because of the form he was in considering he was never this temperamental. He gave a low, irritated growl.

"I'm sorry to wake you," said the girl. "But I have a lot of questions. Can we talk? Can you change back?" Her expression was pleading and he considered for a moment. As far as she knew, no one had escaped his rampage. She needed to know what was going on.

He sat up on his haunches, about to stand, but he stopped. His ears perked up and swiveled around to the house. Someone was up. He concentrated. It was her father. The wolf looked back at the girl, his expression unreadable to her and shook his head as if he were wet before pointing his nose upward to tell her that now was not the time. As he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, he stood and looked at the door over his shoulder. Then he looked back at the girl who was standing now before he leapt off the porch and ran behind the house with a natural grace that astounded her. She stared after him for a moment before she heard the door open behind her.

"Hey, Lex. I didn't know you were up," her father said cheerily. She knew he wouldn't be that happy if the wolf were still here.

"Yeah…I was just going to get the paper."

"I'll get it," he replied walking off the porch and across the walk to the drive where the rolled up newspaper lay. Alexis stared after him and wondered how he would react if he saw Sartorius today. Would Sartorius hide himself from everyone? She wasn't sure.

Both of her parents sat at the kitchen table now as they scanned the Sunday paper. Alexis had just made herself some eggs and went to join them.

"Anything interesting, Dad?"

"Nope. Same as usual. Honestly, I don't know why we even bother."

"It's good to keep up with the news," said her mother.

"There's nothing to keep up _with_," he replied a bit annoyed. "Actually, there's plenty of things going on, you just never hear about them."

"Yep," agreed Alexis.

"Hey Dad, you're not going to believe this," Atticus called from the living room. They all turned toward Atticus, Alex getting to his feet to check it out. When he got to the window, his face became surprised.

"It's back," he said.

Atticus turned to his father. "What are we going to do?"

Alex thought a moment as he watched the wolf sleep beneath an oak tree in the back yard. "Nothing."

"What?!"

"It's not hurting anything. If it was rabid, we'd know it."

Alexis was relieved. "So you're not going to kill it?"

"If it comes to it, I will. But there's no reason to worry about it right now."

Alexis dropped her fork and raced downstairs and out the sliding-glass door. She ran until she was a few yards from the tree and slowed to a walk.

"What is she doing?" asked Atticus as he and his parents watched out of the window.

"I don't know," said Alex shocked.

The wolf lay on his side, watching as the birds flew on golden wings across the bright blue sky. He'd seen a few deer go by, but wasn't in the mood for a chase. He was enjoying just laying in the grass. The breeze rippled against his fur, the sun shining on it and highlighting it beautifully; his eyes sparkling like violet emeralds. While his mood wasn't always the best in this form, he felt more relaxed. He liked Alexis, not that he knew her very much, but he still resented the fact that he had to be here. No, no one had given him orders, not that he'd follow them of course, but he felt it his duty to watch over her until the last man fell.

So he would stay, regardless of how irritating it was. Because even though he was enjoying the relaxation, he still felt tense and was on alert all the time. He couldn't just sit back and day-dream all day. But he made a promise to himself that when this was all over, he'd spend more time as the wolf as a stress reliever or just to play around for a bit.

His ears swiveled at the sound of slow footsteps and he raised his head a bit to look over his shoulder. Alexis came and crouched down beside him, her expression unreadable. He growled lightly, his tongue licking his lips.

"Um, I'm sorry to bother you again." She paused and he growled again. "I just wanted to let you know, that my dad won't try to hurt you now. He didn't try to stop me when I came out either." The wolf looked past her and saw her parents and brother in the living room window, then his eyes went back to her face. She seemed unsure of him and he found himself feeling guilty for growling at her both yesterday and today.

He dropped his head back to the grass for a moment, then rolled over and sat up facing her. He whined and licked her face in reassurance. Her hands went up to pet his shoulders and chest and he growled again out of instinct, but he didn't show any other signs of aggression. He still hated feeling like a domestic dog. He was no one's pet. But he couldn't be mean to her. After all, he didn't have to be here; it was his own choice.

"I don't believe it," said Atticus. Both of his parents were silent. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was like Alexis and the wolf had some kind of connection. They wondered briefly if they were hallucinating.

But when Alexis wrapped her arms around the wolf, he pulled back, snarling and growling. He was inferior to no one. He would not be repressed into submission. That's the way he saw it; the way wolves, or any wild animal would have seen it. He backed up, his head still low to the ground as he made his point clear that he would give into no one. Then, slowly, he turned and walked back into the trees.

Again, Alexis was left staring after him in bewilderment. What was wrong with him? One minute he was being friendly, and the next he was practically threatening to rip her hand off for touching him. What was the deal here? She sighed and bowed her head. She wished she had an answer.

The wolf paced back and forth in the cover of the forest, growling and angry. How dare she!

But deep inside him, beneath the instincts, he knew she meant him no harm. She was only trying to be friendly. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't settle himself down. He stopped pacing and glared through the trees. Then he saw her sitting there hurt and confused and some of his anger left him. He walked out of the woods and stopped when he met her gaze. Then he went to the other side of the yard and lay under a tree far away from her.

Late that night, the wolf wonders the yard making sure that it is safe. All is quiet, no danger near, so he decides to sleep. He wonders around to the front of the silent house and hops up onto the porch only to stop in his tracks. His hackles rose and he growled.

Alexis looked down at him, determined. "We need to talk," she said. And her voice told him that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

He gave an exasperated huff before he turned and hopped off the porch and around the back of the house again, Alexis on his heels. The two went down into the woods a little way making sure they were far enough away from the house. Then the wolf stopped.

"Well?" said Alexis. Then he turned to her, his form changing from beast to man right before her eyes. She stared at him, too stunned to speak. His skin glowed almost white. The light of the moon played on his hair, shimmering off of it making him look as if he himself were glowing. His eyes sparkled like the brilliant diamonds they had been earlier, only brighter. Had he looked like this the other night? If he had, she really must have been out of it. He looked like a magical being-something from a dream or a fairytale.

Even so, his eyes were hard, his jaw set. Well, she couldn't let him intimidate her. She finally had him where she wanted him and he wasn't going to escape this time.

"What's going on?" she began without preamble. "Why are you here?"

"To protect you of course," he replied, his arms crossed. He wasn't angry or smug, he just looked…well…proud. But not in a bad way. He looked somewhat like a god; strong and hard-willed.

"From what? You killed those men. And I'm going to be more cautious from now on. You don't have to worry about me."

There was something he seemed unwilling to tell her, but he knew he had to. So he told it to her straight. "One of them got away. He'll be back."

Alexis found it hard to believe that one of them had escaped him. He had been like a monster, tearing them apart, ripping them to shreds, making them into wolf chow. How had he gotten away?

Sartorius read the question in her eyes. "I would have taken him when I had the chance, but with as many bullets as I took, I wasn't fast enough to catch him. And I needed to get you to safety, so I had no choice but to let him go."

That raised even more questions. "Why didn't those bullets hurt you? What are you? How-"

"One question at a time." She stopped talking and looked at him, waiting for some explanation, but he said nothing.

"You're a werewolf, aren't you?"

"No."

This caught her by surprise. "Well…if you're not a werewolf…then what are you?"

There was a long moment of silence as he deliberated how to her. Finally he said: "Lupus Hominis; wolf man. Or perhaps a better way for you to remember it would be shape shifter. A werewolf has no control over its transformation; we do."

"So, if you're not a werewolf, then why didn't those bullets do anything to you. Yeah, you bled, but…"

"Because just like werewolves, we cannot be killed by anything less than the right weapon."

"_Silver _bullets?"

"No."

"Than what-"

"You don't need to worry about that."

"But-"

"It's not relevant," he growled.

She glared at him. "What's with you? Why are you acting like your least favorite person in the world? I didn't do anything to you. And when I try to 

be nice, you snap at me and growl. If you don't want to be here, then go! Nobody's making you stay."

He closed his eyes to calm himself. "I'm sorry," he finally answered. "I don't mean to act this way. Being a wolf for so long destroys my self-control. I'm not doing on purpose."

"Well you could try a little harder to contain your unreasonable anger issues."

"You're right. I could." His face had softened and so her anger at him slowly began to diminish.

"So, what now? Are you going to stay here?"

"That was the plan. Until I have a chance to find that man, I'm not going anywhere."

Alexis looked sympathetic. "You don't have to stay, you know."

"I know."

"Then why? I don't want you to waste your time on me…"

"It's my time. I can do what I what I chose with it."

"But, what about your sister?"

"She has Aster."

This took her by surprise. "Aster? You mean they're married?" He nodded once. "Well, I guess I should have seen that coming," she said. "But still, don't you have a job to get back to? What about your managing career?"

"I'm not a manager anymore." She opened her mouth to say something but he answered her question before she could speak it aloud. "It didn't suit me anymore, that's all."

"But, I still feel bad that you have to be here."

"I don't _have_ to be here. I _chose _to be."

"But-"

"I'm staying, and that's final," he said calmly. And his tone suggested that there would be no more arguing the point. He walked past her, slowly changing forms again.

"Wait," she called. "I'm not-!" But it was too late. The wolf was already bounding back up to the house.


	6. Chapter 6

The wolf sat in the back yard watching the forest. He wondered how much long he'd have to be here. Well, at least Alexis knew the truth now; the real reason he was here. He heard the back door and turned to see her coming towards him.

"Hey," she said sitting beside him. "I figured since you're going to be here for a while, we might as well try to be friends."

The wolf rolled his eyes. They were already friends. Well, acquaintances anyway. She pet his head and he growled. "You're so temperamental, you know that?" She thought for a moment. Then she picked up a stick and studied it. "Hm. I wonder…since you react so strongly to your instincts as a dog…then…"

The wolf snorted and turned his head away from her. He was _not _going to play fetch!

The stick flew past him and he bounded after it leaping in mid air to catch it. He landed on his feet, the stick in his mouth feeling exhilarated. Then he realized what he had just done and glared down at the stick before dropping it and growling at it. Alexis laughed. He turned and glared at her over his shoulder, then ran up to her and growled at her, more in annoyance than hostility. She picked up another stick. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't see it, but when he heard the whoosh of it go flying, he ran after it again. This time he dropped it immediately. What was this? How could the erg to chase a stupid stick be so strong?

Alexis laughed again and he looked over his shoulder at her. Suddenly he found that he liked the sound of her laughter. He liked knowing that she was happy…

No. He would not let his emotions control him. He was here for one purpose and one purpose only; to protect her. Nothing else. That's what he was born to do; to protect humans and animals. He would not let things like affections cloud his actions.

He walked back over to her, his head held high, his ears straight up, and gave her a serious look before walking behind and past her.

"What's up with you?" she asked. He stopped. "I'm just trying to be friendly. You don't need to make all my attempts blow up in my face. You could at least try to be grateful." With that, she got up and walked back in the house.

The wolf watched her as she left him and suddenly felt at a loss and angry with himself. He threw himself on the ground and rolled around in confusion. Why did he have to do that? Why did he always have to make her feel bad? When he stopped, he was laying in the grass with his nose to the house. He was such an idiot.

Alexis went up the stairs to and was met by her father. "Alexis, I don't think it's wise to be hanging around that thing. I may have said I wouldn't kill it, but there's no need to provoke it."

"He won't hurt me, Dad."

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't want to take that risk."

Alexis knew that everyone was paranoid about the wolf only because they didn't know who he was. But she did. And she was determined to make them see that he posed no threat to anyone.

"Dad, I know you're worried, but I'll be careful. I promise."

Now the wolf lay beneath one of the trees in the back yard. He couldn't help feeling guilty for making Alexis feel bad. He didn't want his emotions taking control of him, but he couldn't help it. Why couldn't he be more considerate?

Because he knew that if he cared too much, something bad would happen. All his life, that had always been the case. Whenever he got attached to anything, it had been ripped away from him. That was because, even though he remained in his human form most of the time, he was first and foremost, a wolf.

When he was born, he had been chosen to be a guardian of man and nature. He was meant to walk alone. No attachments. No emotions. No nothing.

He was glad for this because it allowed him to be free. He didn't have to worry about anyone but himself. And best of all, his sister was free of the burden. She now had Aster and her life was complete. But he'd always known there was nothing for him.

But it also hurt. He wanted to know what it felt like to live and love like a normal human being. He had tried to escape this life once before, but destiny threw it back at him and turned his world upside down. That's how the whole Society of Light thing got started. It was punishment for trying to betray his true nature.

So now, instead of fighting it, he lives with it. And he knows he can't afford to take a risk.

He heard laughter behind him and lifted his head. Alexis and her brother had baskets and were headed into the woods. _No, _he thought. He stood and barked once. They turned to him, a glare on Alexis' face, and he felt a sharp pang in his heart to see her look at him that way.

"What?" she asked. He shook his head. But she paid no more attention to him. She and Atticus proceeded to walk into the trees. The wolf ran and crouched in front of them growling, blocking their passage.

Atticus broke a branch off of a tree. "You'd better get out of here, mutt!"

"No! Don't hit him!" cried Alexis catching the stick as he went to strike the dog. The wolf lifted his head and backed away.

"Why are you defending it? It's not exactly being very nice."

Alexis looked into the eyes of the canine before her. She saw a warning there, but didn't heed it. She scowled down at him before moving past him, her brother right behind her.

The wolf turned and watched them leave, hurt and confusion taking over. But he pushed these feelings aside. He had no choice but to follow them. Even though her brother was with her, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance if that man decided to show up.

Silently he followed as they went deeper into the forest. Along the way, they stopped to pick berries and put them into their baskets. Sartorius didn't let them see him as he trailed them, always on the lookout for danger. But soon they returned and he was relieved that nothing had happened and that Alexis was safe…

He watched as they went back up to the house. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't push these feelings away.

That night, the wolf set off into the woods again. He needed to clear his head. He walked in the dark, wondering aimlessly through the forest. He didn't know what was happening to him. Why were his defenses suddenly failing him? Why couldn't he resist feeling affection for her? Why was he becoming so protective over her? Yes, he was a guardian, but the feeling of possessiveness should not exist in him. So why was it there?

He came to a cliff and looked up at the moon. What was wrong with him? He wanted to be angry at himself-at her. But he wasn't. He didn't want to feel this way, but he did.

Suddenly, the cliff begins to vibrate beneath his feet. He jerks his head down to see cracks forming and his eyes widen. He turns and scrambles to get to safety. He just barely catches the edge of secure ground and he extends his back legs beneath him to try to find something to climb, but then that piece of rock crumbles and he falls backward into darkness…

He feels heat on his fur, the warmth of the sun…He hears the light rush of water…The smell of dirt and flowers fills his senses…

He opens his eyes and sees a stream…He stares at his reflection as he lies on the hard earth. Slowly he stands to study it closer. The face of a wolf…The face of a guardian…

He turns and tries to walk, only to find he has a hurt leg. He whines and limps off, following his nose back to where he belongs…

When he arrives back at the house, he makes his way to the front porch and lays down to rest. It had been a long walk back, especially with a lame leg. He sighed and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, he was overcome by a heartfelt emotion that he couldn't comprehend when he heard the door open behind him. Alexis sat beside him on the steps, but he did not open his eyes.

"Look…I'm sorry about yesterday," she said sincerely. "I know it's not your fault…I just have a hard time being around someone I know and not being able to talk to them, not being able to understand them. So…sorry I ignored you yesterday. I was just irritated. I guess I just don't understand."

He looked at her with sympathy now. Her face was as sincere as her words had been. How could he refuse her apology? Not that he blamed her. He was acting like a jerk.

Carefully he stood and faced her. He looked her in the eyes with an expression neither one of them understood. It was heartfelt, but not the same as anything either of them had known before. Slowly he raised his lame leg, his paw reaching for her chest…He didn't know what was drawing him to do this, but it was happening.

His paw was a foot from her heart when he reality hit him. His expression changed to one of realization and Alexis' turned to one of confusion. Suddenly all of his paws were on the ground and he growled and snarled more at himself than at her and leapt off the porch and around the house.

Alexis sighed and placed her elbow on her knee, her cheek in her hand as she watched him go. She wasn't getting anywhere with him was she? No matter how many times she tried to befriend him, he just ran off. Would he ever trust her? Would they ever get to some level of actual friendship? Or would this be a protector/protectee business-like arrangement? She didn't know.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry about not updating in forever. I haven't had the time. But the good news is I'm finally getting a computer for Christmas so I'll be able to update all of my stories at once. Please keep reading and tell me what you think.

The sky was almost black as the rain poured down from the sky and the lightning only added to the dark and almost mystical mood of the storm. The wolf stood in the middle of it all, taking in the power and energy that it generated. He felt wild, free, rejuvenated. The rain seemed to clear his mind and cleanse his soul. As the lightning flashed he lifted his head to let out a mystical howl that came from deep within.

As Alexis watched the wolf in the middle of the raging storm, her heart went out to him. He seemed lonely and unsure and the howl conveyed a feeling of loss. It was a sad sound and she wished that she could take away his pain. But she had no such power. It had been his choice to stay and it would have to be his choice to leave. Besides, she didn't think she could bare the thought of him leaving her forever.

xXx

The wolf slept soundly on the front porch until the morning light woke him. Still, he did not open his eyes to the bright, new day. When he heard the door open, he didn't need his eyes to tell him who it was. She sat on the step, looking out over the hill to where the sun had just come up. The wolf opened his eyes only a little to see that she wasn't looking at him at all. In fact, she seemed very disinterested in his presence.

"Don't worry, I didn't come out here to bother you," she said. "I know you don't like me very much."

He looked at her dumbfounded. Where would she get an idea like that? Of course he liked her. What's not to like? What in the guardian's name was she talking about?

But she said no more: merely continued to stare across to the hill. The wolf looked ahead again still trying to comprehend her words. A long time passed before he felt a hand on his damp coat. He looked back at her but her eyes hadn't moved. She spoke quietly, more to herself than to him.

"You like storms," she said as she stroked his fur. He was puzzled by this odd statement. "I saw you last night. I think we all did." There was a pause and he didn't know what to make of that. "You don't have to stay. You can go home."

His head shot up at this statement, but she still did not turn to him. What was she talking about? He wasn't going to leave her. He couldn't even if he'd wanted to. She withdrew her hand and folded them in her lap. "But if you stay, I promise I won't bother you. I just want you to know that you do have a choice." With that, she stood and went into the house.

xXx

The wolf sat in the shade of the forest as he watched the house still trying to decipher the meaning of Alexis' words. Of course he liked her. Who wouldn't? Not to mention it was his job to protect her. Why was she acting so strangely?

As he watched, he saw Laura come out of the back door along with Alexis. They headed to the garden carrying hand shovels and flowers. He watched as they planted and watered the colorful blossoms. Then Laura went into the storage garage to get something. The wolf stood and walked over to where Alexis sat patting dirt around the last plant. She didn't say anything, although she knew he was there. He whined.

She spared him a curious glance, then went back to her work. He lowered his head and took a few steps forward to put his nose to her hand. When she looked at him, his eyes were full of questions. But she simply looked away again and continued with her work. What was going on with her? Why wasn't she paying any attention to him? He whined again but received no response. He went down into the woods and came back with a stick in his mouth and whined. Still no response. He dropped the stick and lowered his head, his ears drooping.

Just then, Laura came back with a watering can and she and her daughter walked around the yard watering various flowers and shrubs, paying no attention to the dog.

And so it went that way for the next week. Alexis was always busy with her family, doing chores and such, no one ever giving a thought to the wolf that still wondered around the yard aimlessly As he thought about Alexis' actions and words, he kicked himself for acting like he hated the world. Though it wasn't his fault, it figures that just as he was getting a grip on his temperament, she'd start giving him the cold shoulder.

Laura, on the other hand, had started to grow fond of the wolf. He'd often find her watching him from the windows or when she was hanging clothes on the line. But she never said anything to him.

That was fine though. He wasn't looking for attention from just anyone. He wanted Alexis to forgive him. But he felt as if he'd ruined their friendship. He'd probably be better off leaving, but he couldn't force himself to return home to never see her again.

xXx

He walked through the forest, the light of the full moon shimmering off of his coat like he was a magical being. But he felt far from magical. He felt alone. The longer he stayed, the lonelier he became. Alexis still hadn't given him even a sparing glance as of late and he still received death glares from her father and brother as if they thought he was going to eat her.

He stood on a cliff now staring up at the moon wondering why he cared so much. His eyes sparkled like his coat, but maybe it was because there were tears in his eyes.

He lowered his head, his eyes closing. Why did his job have to be so hard? Well, it wasn't really the job itself, but the complications it created.

He felt the earth move beneath him and opened his eyes to see the cliff beginning to break. He backed up, but the rock crumbled and he began to fall. He was able to turn and grab the sturdy cliff with his claws, but that too, crumbled and he was sent tumbling into darkness.

xXx

When he awoke, he could feel the morning sun warming his fur. He could hear and smell water. He opened his eyes and tried to stand but only fell back to the ground. He was peering into a stream now, studying his reflection. This was the face of a guardian, nothing more, nothing less. But did it matter? Didn't he still have a heart? Feelings?

Again, he tried to stand. When he did, he found that his back, left leg hurt. He looked up at the sky as a bird flew past. Should he go home? Should he go back? What was right?

He wasn't sure. So he went to the one place he wanted to be.

xXx

By the time he returned to the house, another storm had begun. As he reached the door, it opened and he was surprised to see Laura standing there. He looked up at her quizzically.

"Come now, come in," she ushered in a hushed tones. "You deserve a warm place to sleep." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She wanted him to come in? "Come on." Reluctantly, and very warily, he walked into the house, his head lowered in submission. Laura shut the door and led him up the stairs and to door on the left. She opened it and he stared in shock at whose room it was.

Alexis was in her bed sleeping as the lightning started to flash. The wolf didn't look away from her to notice that Laura had gone. When she came back, she entered the room and placed a thick blanket on the floor beside the bed. "Come here," she cooed to the frightened-looking animal as he stood in the doorway. "Come on."

He lowered his head and entered the room cautiously. Laura patted the blanket. He went to it and timidly lay down upon it. He was confused now and not sure what to make of this. He was also apprehensive about being in her room, dog or not. It was still strange.

Laura left the room saying, "Just don't let my husband see you." Then she closed the door. He lay his head down and drifted to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Alexis could hear the birds chirping outside urging her to wake, but she didn't open her eyes. She lay there for a while feeling the warmth of the sun streaming through her window. When she finally decided to take the first steps in getting her butt out of bed, she opened her eyes see a beautiful blue sky. She smelled the wet earth outside and knew that she'd slept through a storm.

She turned her head to look at the clock on her bedside table and saw that it was eight fifty-three. She also noticed something else, too. On the floor beside her bed lay a furry mass all curled up in a ball on a blanket. She furrowed her brow and looked down at the wolf curiously. Then she reached down to touch his soft head. He made a moaning sound and turned over on his back, still in a deep sleep.

"Sartorius," she whispered harshly. "Wake up."

He flipped back over and yawned, stretching. Then, slowly, he opened his eyes. He seemed to stare off into space for a moment before he remembered where he was. His eyes widened and he jumped up and scrambled backwards, then stood staring at her awkwardly.

"How did you get in here?"

He just stared stupidly back at her for a moment before her question registered in his brain. He shook his head to bring himself back to his senses. Then he looked on her bedside table and saw the pictures that sat upon it. He walked over and put his front paws on the table and stuck his nose in front of one of her and her mother.

"Mom let you in?"

His feet were on the ground again and he nodded. Alexis just looked back at him as if trying to decide if he was lying or not. He could have just let himself in, but she doubted he'd do that. He might have an attitude, but he wasn't a crude man…dog…wolf…whatever he was. Besides, he seemed anxious being in her room, uneasy.

When they heard footsteps coming down the hall, they both whipped their heads around to face the door.

"Oh crap. Dad." Alexis shot out of bed-she was wearing nightclothes thankfully-and lifted up the covers of her bed giving him a place to hide. But he'd already gone to the French doors. He whined and she looked up and saw him. "You can't get down from there can you?"

He didn't respond. The doors were cracked and he stuck his paw in to open them a bit more. Then he walked to the banister and hoped on the ledge.

"No!" But it was too late. He'd already jumped. She raced out onto the balcony and looked down in horror. But to her relief, he was safely on the ground looking up at her. He didn't dare move though. His leg hurt even worse than it had before and he didn't want her to see it.

Alexis' head spun around when she heard a knock on her door and her father's voice call to her. "Come in," she said walking back into the room just as her father opened the door.

"Is everything alright in here?" He looked concerned.

"Y-yeah. Why?"

"Your mother seems a bit anxious this morning. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Well, at least she knew Sartorius hadn't lied. "I'm fine, Dad."

He still seemed curious, but he didn't question her. "Okay. If you say so. Well, I'll leave you alone now." And with that, he left the room closing the door behind him. Alexis sighed in relief. That sure was a close call.

XxX

The wolf sat out front beside the house licking his leg. Man did it hurt. He lifted his head to look at it again and whined. Then he snorted and flopped his head down in the cool, damp grass. At least he had three other legs to walk on. He sat up again though when he heard the front door open. Sure enough, Alexis came out onto the porch. He watched her walked out and put something in the mailbox and put the flag up before she turned and walked back. Slowly he stood and went to meet her in the middle of the sidewalk careful not to let her see his leg.

"We almost got caught this morning, huh?" she asked.

That sounded a bit…weird to him. But thankfully he stopped that train of thought. He just whined a little in response.

"Well, I have work to do. I guess I'll see you later." She walked past him but he was determined not to let her get away this time. He spun around ignoring his leg and leapt in front of her barking once. She stared down at him questioningly. He whined and turned in the direction of the woods wanting her to follow him.

"Look, I really have things I need to do, so-"

"WOOOF!!!!"

She jumped startled. Then she sighed. "Okay, you have my attention. What is it?"

He whined again and started off towards the forest knowing that Alexis would follow. When they got so far into the woods, he walked behind a tree, and when he came into view again, he was human. He stood in front of the tree and Alexis came to a stop a few feet in front of him.

Alexis just stood there staring at him, not sure what she should say or do. But it was Sartorius who broke the silence. "I'm sorry, Alexis. For the way I'd been acting, I mean. I don't hate you, believe it or not."

"I never thought you hated me. But it was clear you didn't like me very much."

"No! I mean, that's not it at all. I do like you-you know, as a friend. It's just…I should have been able to control my temper. But I couldn't. And that's my fault, not yours. And I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression."

"So you don't hate me?"

"Not at all." Actually, if he were being honest, he liked her too much. But he wasn't going to be "honest" with her. Not now and probably not ever. It would be a mistake to go there.

"Well, I meant what I said. You should go home. Home to your sister and to Aster-"

"No. I'm not leaving."

"But are you even sure he's going to come back."

"I can't say I'm as certain as I was, but I'm not taking any chances." Truthfully he didn't want to go home. He was growing attached to Alexis in a way he couldn't comprehend. Whether it was his human side or his wolf side he wasn't sure. He just hoped he wasn't getting used to the idea of becoming a house pet.

"Well, if you're not going to go home, at least go to a motel or something and get some rest. There are plenty of things like that around here. "

He chuckled. "Hell, I'd rather sleep on the ground than in some motel."

"If my mom keeps coming to the rescue, you won't have to do either."

"You don't find it odd to wake up and find me in your room?"

"No. Why should I?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I'm not just a wolf. I'm a man, too."

"I know you won't hurt me. You saved me from that very thing. Why would you betray my trust?"

"I'd never do anything like that of course. But how can you be so sure? I suppose if I was a woman, I'd be sort of anxious at the thought of a strange man in my room in any form."

"You're no stranger. Besides, as long as you stay in your wolf form and don't try anything funny, I should have no reason to be suspicious of you."

"If you're comfortable with that arrangement, than fine. I suppose I shan't argue with you. But I'm not going to go out of my way to get into the house. If you or your mother come to get me, I'll consider it. Otherwise, I'm perfectly comfortable out here." He smiled. "I feel more at home on the front porch anyhow."

"If you're sure…"

He smirked and began walking past her saying, "If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here, now would I?"

She turned and watched as he turned from man to wolf once more and headed back to the house.

From then on, the two were closer than ever before. Just as Sartorius had said, he didn't try to con his way into the house. He usually slept out on the porch as he had before, only coming inside when it rained. Of course, the never let Alex see him. They didn't want to start World War III over the dog. Nor had he changed back to his human form again. He was determined not to open the door to anything he couldn't get out of.

One day Alexis sat on a swing in the back enjoying the breeze when she felt a cool wetness on her knee. She looked down to see the wolf with a flower in his mouth. He whined and she took it from him stroking his head. Then he jumped up onto the swing with her and lay down, his head on her lap as she pet him softly.

That night, Alexis went out and sat on the porch. It was around ten and no one else was up. The wolf came round the house and sat down beside her. When he looked up into her eyes, they were pleading.

"Please change back," she said and the request startled him. Well not so much the request as how she said it. He listened intently until he was satisfied that everyone was asleep. Then, he did as she asked, changing from beast to man and sitting on the step beside her.

"What's on your mind?" he asked curious.

She sat looking at him for a moment until it seemed she was appeased, then she turned away. "Oh, nothing. I guess I just wanted to see you without fur for a while."

He stared at her confused by her tone. It seemed…lonely. But why? "What's the matter?"

She didn't say anything for a long time. Then, "I want to see you like this more often," she blurted. She still hadn't turned to him and now she turned her head even further away embarrassed. He was still confused by her statement though. What did she mean by that? She wanted to see him in human form more? Why?

Then he realized what she was saying. She wanted to see him as a man.

He turned away from her now and looked across to the rise. "Wherever you're going with this, you need to stop."

She looked back at him now, startled by his hollow tone. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That's exactly why I stay as the wolf: to keep things like this from happening."

What was he saying? He didn't want to talk to her? To be with her? He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and saw the hurt in her own. Damn. Why did his words have to come out sounding like he didn't care about her?

Maybe because he didn't want to.

He turned back to her. "No, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I was just saying that…Uhg, I don't know anymore." What was he trying to say? He was just trying to stop the inevitable from happening. But it had already begun and he couldn't reverse it. Sometimes he wished he wasn't human at all. It was so much easier to go along with instinct than to try to figure out the complexities of human relations.

So, if it had already begun, why was he still trying to fight it? Because he could, damn it! He wasn't going to let this go any further.

He stood and looked down at the ground. Alexis stared up at him. "I don't want to hurt you, Alexis. If you know what's good for you, you won't let yourself wander down that path." He strode to the middle of the sidewalk, the moonlight shimmering off of his hair, and he changed again. Then the wolf turned and walked back around the house.

Alexis' head dropped to rest on her knees as she cried.

A/N: I know it seems as if my words are going in circles and not making any sense, but they will. 


	9. Chapter 9

Alexis went outside the next day and sat on the swing outback. She was not in a good mood at all. Sartorius was starting to agitate her. What was his problem? One minute he was being nice to her and they were getting along just fine, the next he was telling her to stay away from him. He was acting like a woman! I mean come on, mood swings much?

But then she had to ask herself; why did she care? Why did it matter whether he wanted to talk to her or not? It's not like they were together or anything. He was only there to protect her. As far as she was concerned, he should go home where he belonged. She was perfectly safe. And it was obvious he didn't want to be here. Why didn't he just leave and spare her the heartache?

She looked down when she heard whining. Then she glared at the wolf. "What do you want?" His eyes were full of regret, his ears drooping. "If you've come to apologize again, forget it. It's getting old. Especially since you don't mean it." She turned away from him and he lowered his head. She was right. What was he even still doing here? He turned and began in the direction of the woods.

Then he froze. His head shot up, his ears pricked upward. He swung his head around. That smell…He heard the low purr of an engine before he saw a red sports car come down the road and pull into the drive.

"Hey, that's Jack's car," said Alexis. She heard the front door open and her parents and brother come out to greet their friend. Alexis got up and ran around the front of the house before the wolf could stop her.

When she got to the drive, Jack was just getting out of the car. "Laura, Alex, how are you?"

"Jack, it's so good to see you," said Laura.

"Yeah, what's been going on lately," said Alex.

"Not too much. You know me, always having fun." He saw Alexis and smiled at her. "Lexi, it's been awhile. Don't I get a hug?" He went towards her and Alexis smiled back in greeting to the family friend. But suddenly the wolf was in front of her, growling and snarling, his ears pinned back against his head. Alexis looked at him startled. Why was he growling at Jack?

Then she looked at the man's face and saw the shock and anger in his eyes. Then she saw it, too. It was him. Alexis' eyes widened in disbelief, then she glared at him.

"What the Hell," said Alex. "Get that damn dog out of here before it kills someone!" He walked toward the beast but Alexis yelled at him.

"Don't touch him!"

"What?! Look at him; he's blood thirsty. Get out of here, you filthy vermin!" Needless to say, the wolf stood his ground. This vile man was the real vermin and he wasn't getting anywhere near Alexis.

Laura stared at the scene in disbelief and confusion. She knew that the dog wasn't vicious, and she also knew how close the wolf and her daughter were. Something was wrong.

Jack said nothing. He and the wolf stared into each other's eyes with hatred and malice for the other. Sartorius was so focused on his eyes that he didn't notice the man slowly pull a gun from his belt. He fired at the dog and Alexis screamed, "NO!"

But the bullet went right through him leaving a bleeding hole in his chest. Laura, Alex and Atticus gasped. How was that possible? The wolf hadn't even flinched. He still stood there, growling at the intruder. Jack stared back at him, the gun pointed at the wolf's head.

Then Jack fired another shot.

Sartorius turned his head as Alexis screamed bloody murder, falling to the ground in a pool of blood. Laura screamed and Alex and Atticus began yelling. The wolf just stared at the girl as her parents and brother raced to her side. His heart tore into a million pieces. No…No…NOOO!!!!

The wolf turned and lunged at the bastard in front of him. Jack jumped back and Sartorius caught his gun in his jaws. Jack held the gun in front of him as protection form the beast's deadly fangs as it tried to get it's teeth around his neck. Finally the wolf's teeth snapped the gun in half and he fell to the ground and leapt for his legs. He bit one and dragged him to the ground, then jumped for his face.

Jack brought up his arm and punched the wolf in the side of his head sending him to the ground with a cry of pain. But he quickly recuperated and got to his feet chasing after Jack as he ran for his car and got in slamming the door just in time to avoid being torn to shreds. The wolf growled and snarled as he jumped up clawing and snapping his jaws at the door. Jack started the sports car and sped down the road, Sartorius running after him.

Then the wolf stopped knowing he'd never be able to catch him. He stood in the middle of the road, his head dropping. He turned and stared in horror at the scene in the Rhodes' front yard. Alexis lay there in a bleeding heap, her parents bent over her crying. Atticus had gone in the house to call 911.

Slowly Sartorius made his way back to them still unable to believe what had happened. When he got to Alexis' side, she was unconscious. The smell of death began in the wolf's nostrils. No…She couldn't be…Tears ran down his face as he looked at hers covered in blood. He whined and rubbed his head against her face. Then he raised his head to the cloudy sky and let out a heartbreaking cry; a howl that conveyed loss, loneliness, and regret. He fell to the ground beside her and lay his head on her bloody chest, the tears still coming along with the tears of her family.

Alex didn't protest.

Within minutes, there was chaos everywhere as an ambulance and three police cars pulled up to the house. The EMTs got the girl on a stretcher and into the ambulance as Alex talked to the police tipping them off about Jack. Laura was in hysterics, Atticus holding her, trying to console her. The wolf stood at her feet staring as Alexis was loaded into the back of the ambulance. He still couldn't believe it…

The cops rode ahead of the ambulance as it headed for the hospital, Alex driving his wife and son in their car behind them. The wolf wasn't about to loose sight of her. He ran as fast as he could along the rise to the side of the road, keeping up with the red and white truck with the flashing lights and sirens all the while praying to wake up from this terrible dream.

When they arrived at the hospital, the EMTs raced to get her to the emergency room. Alex and Laura rushed into the hospital along with Atticus. Alexis' brother turned when he felt a presence behind him to see the wolf with large eyes, his ears up. Whether he liked the dog or not, it had tried to protect his sister. He spared the creature a sorrowful look, then followed his parents.

Sartorius lowered his head. No…

Then he raised it resolutely, his eyes suddenly full of hatred. He knew what he had to do. That bastard was going to pay for what he'd done. And _he_ was going to be the one to deliver the punishment.

Sartorius had no idea where "Jackass" had gone, but it didn't matter. He was driven by adrenalin and desire for revenge. That and he longed to see the blood flow from that bastard's neck after he'd ripped his throat out. He'd never felt so vicious and blood thirsty, not even when he saw Alexis surrounded by six lustful men. That had just about did it. But he wasn't as pissed as he was this very moment. And the fact that he was scared for Alexis' life made things even worse.

He ran along the side of a deserted highway knowing he was headed in the right direction. Finally he caught sight of the red car and quickened his pace. That man was going to die.

And there was a gas station up ahead.

Jack had slowed the car now that he was safely out of town. That damn dog almost ripped off his leg. He had been lucky to escape with his life. But at least he'd gotten payback for that mongrel slaughtering his gang. His eyes shifted to the rear view mirror when he thought he saw something behind him. But he saw nothing so his eyes returned to the road. That dog couldn't have followed him all the way out here. Even if it was immune to bullets, it didn't have super powers.

Boy was he wrong.

Before Jack knew what happened, the beast had crashed through the rear window. He turned just as the wolf's teeth snapped in his face. He was in front of the man now, trying to get to his throat, but he proved to be difficult. Jack couldn't see to steer but he was able to throw the wolf off of him. He crashed through the passenger window, but his claws caught the door and he held on for dear life. Jack gassed it and Sartorius' back claws scratched at the door as he tried to pull himself up.

Finally he was able to gather enough strength and willpower to launch himself back into the car. He lunged at Jack again but missed and destroyed the seat, Jack falling backward. The wolf had Jack pinned now. He changed to a man again, his hand wrapping around Jack's throat.

"Die, bastard!" he growled before changing again, his teeth replacing his hand, the blood pouring onto the leather seat and dripping to the floor. Jack wasn't unconscious yet as the wolf leapt out the back window just in time to escape the fiery explosion when the car collided with the gas pumps. He ran until he was sure he was far enough away, then tuned back to watch everything burn, the fire lighting his eyes. May he rot in Hell, he thought.

It was dark by the time Sartorius arrived at the hospital. He had to see her-had to know if she was okay. But when he asked the receptionist at the front desk, she denied him access to her room.

"Please. I have to see her. Is she alright?"

"I'm sorry, sir. Family only."

His hands were clenched into fists on the desk. "Grrr, you don't understand-I was there-I-I have to see her!"

"I'm really sorry, but she isn't allowed any other visitors."

His face twisted in pain and he had to close his eyes to keep himself from changing and forcing his way in. His fists went to his sides and he cursed before leaving the woman startled and confused. He stopped as soon as he was out of light provided by the hospital doors. He growled, enraged and distressed. He couldn't see her so there was no point in staying. Thinking about it now, they wouldn't want him to see her anyway. They weren't aware that he was the wolf, and they didn't need to know.

He growled again before changing and bounding as fast as he could away from the hospital to the one place he called home.

Atticus was sitting in the waiting room watching out of the window. His parents were talking to the doctor now, and he could only pray to God that his sister would be okay. The thought of her dead…he wanted to throw up. Hell, if she died, he'd probably go with her. He loved his sister more than anything in the world. He couldn't live without her.

As he watched out the window, his head rose a little when he saw Sartorius emerge from the front doors of the hospital right below him. What was he doing here? Did he know about Alexis? He doubted it, but his appearance couldn't just be coincidence.

Then Atticus gasped in shock and horror as Sartorius morphed into a wolf-the same wolf that had been hanging around the house for weeks-the same wolf that had tried to protect his sister.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: THIS IS NOT THE END!!! This chapter might suggest it, but it's not the end!

When he got back to the hospital, it was dark, and the moon was covered over with clouds. The wolf looked at the tall building, not angry anymore; just fearful. He had to see her. He had to know if she was okay. But when he talked to the receptionist, she wouldn't let him pass.

"I'm sorry. Only family is allowed."

"You don't understand," he said desperately. "I have to see her. I was there-I have to know. Is she okay?"

"I'm really sorry, but I cannot permit you access to her room."

Sartorius wanted to argue; wanted to force his way in. His hands were clenched into fists on the desk. He cursed before rushing back out into the night leaving the woman confused. Why did he think he'd be able to get in to see her? And even if he could, her parents didn't like him. They wouldn't let him get anywhere near her.

He growled, anxious and scared and confused. Then he changed into the wolf and ran to through the night to the one place he called home.

Atticus sat in the waiting room while his parents talked to the doctor. He prayed that Alexis would live. She was his sister. He loved her more than anything in the world. He couldn't stand the thought of living without her. If she died, he'd probably go with her.

He lifted his head when he saw Sartorius emerge from the hospital's main entrance. What was he doing here? Had he heard about Alexis? No, he doubted the chances of that. But still, it couldn't just be coincidence. Then Atticus gasped as he saw the man change into a wolf; the same wolf that had been hanging around the house for weeks; the same wolf that had defended Alexis.

By the time he set foot in the front yard, it had begun to drizzle. He walked toward the house a little ways then stopped. He bent his head putting his nose to the ground where her blood still stained the grass and whined. He stared at it a moment, his heart in pieces. He threw his head back and howled that lonely howl again. Then he slid to the ground, his nose beside the blood spot, tears streaming down his furry face.

'_Alexis…I'm so sorry…'_

And so, there he stayed, for weeks on end. He didn't once get up, he didn't eat, he didn't move the slightest bit. Her parents and brother came and went sparing him pitying glances, but he never acknowledged them.

Atticus couldn't bring himself to confront the dog. He was terrified and confused at the reality he'd discovered that night at the hospital. He'd tried to convince himself that he'd been dreaming-hallucinating. But he knew better. It all fit. Sartorius had brought her home that night, it explained how he was able to fend off six gang members. And he must have known that Jack would come back. That's why he'd stayed. At least Atticus hoped that's why he'd stayed. It was bad enough that Alexis had been shot-he didn't need to find out she was pregnant, too. If that were true, he'd kill Sartorius himself if he knew how.

Alex paid no attention to the dog; he had bigger things to worry about. Laura, though, had tried to get him to move, or at least eat-unsuccessfully, I might add. He wouldn't even look at her. He just lay there staring at the same patch of grass, lost in a near coma since Alexis had been shot. His heart didn't even seem to beat; he didn't seem to even breathe.

At last the day came when Alexis was able to leave the hospital and return home with her family. Needless to say, they were all relieved. Alexis would be glad to sleep in her own bed and not be bothered with a thousand nurses asking her stupid questions like 'Are you hungry?', 'Do you need to use the bathroom?', 'Do you want a newspaper?' That had annoyed her more than the pain.

Alexis had been extremely lucky. The bullet had come dangerously close to piercing her heart. It was a miracle that she was alive. It didn't hurt too bad anymore, but at times, the pain would become unbearable. She could walk just fine now, though not for too long.

But she was really anticipating seeing him again. She didn't know where he had gone. Nobody had said anything to her about the dog and Sartorius hadn't come to visit her. Had he tried? The nurse hadn't even let Jasmine and Mindy see her; she doubted they'd let him.

She only hoped that he was okay. Did he go home? Was he worried about her? She could only guess.

The wolf heard the car pull into the drive like it had so many times in the past many weeks. He didn't look up, he never did. He couldn't move even if he'd wanted to.

Then his ears perked up. That voice…He looked up and stared in disbelief…Was it really her…? It had to be…

'_Alexis…'_

"Easy, honey," said Alex helping her out of the back seat. Laura and Atticus came round the car then. They helped her toward the front porch but she stopped when she saw the dog in the yard. Laura followed her gaze and her face grew sad.

"That dog hasn't left that spot since…He hasn't moved or eaten or even got a drink of water. I tried everything to get him to come out of that unresponsive state. It looks like he might be okay, though, now that you're back."

Alexis stared at the wolf unable to believe her eyes. He had stayed? And he hadn't responded to anything? Was he that worried about her? She gently moved out of her parents' hold and took a few steps toward him.

"Be careful, dear," said Laura.

Alexis took a few more steps and stopped. The wolf slowly stood for the first time in weeks. This couldn't be true…He had to be dreaming…

No, he wasn't. She was alive…She was here…

He ran to her and time seemed to slow. She kneeled on the ground, her arms outstretched, and he went into them willingly, his head coming to rest on her left shoulder. Tears spilled from his eyes as he rubbed his head against hers. She was alive…

Alexis pet the wolf wishing that he wasn't the wolf, but himself again. "Sartorius, thank you," she whispered.

No, he thought, thank God. They pulled back a little and he whined. Then he raised his right paw and slowly moved it over her heart, his eyes soft.

A tear fell from Alexis' eye. "I love you, too."

That night, Alexis lay in her bed, more than happy to be home. Laura said that the dog should be with her, Alexis wanting to see him, and Alex didn't have the heart to refuse. The wolf came in and jumped up on the bed laying down beside her, his head on her chest.

Alexis awoke in the middle of the night and saw Sartorius staring out her window, only he wasn't a dog. He was human. Silently she stood and walked over to him placing a hand on his arm. He turned his eyes to her, their violet depths swimming in a pool of both sadness and relief. He turned to her and took her into his arms.

"Alexis, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry?" she whispered against his chest. "For what? I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I failed. Alexis, I'd thought I'd lost you."

"I'm here, I'm okay."

He held her closer shaking his head against hers. "No. That bullet…it was mere millimeters from your heart. I could have stopped him…I could've done something-anything."

Alexis pulled back to look into his eyes. She placed a hand on his cheek. "It's okay. You couldn't have stopped a bullet. You protected me, you saved me. And for that, I'm eternally grateful."

Sartorius placed his hand on hers and turned his face to kiss her palm before rubbing his cheek against her soft, warm hand, a tear falling. Then he took her back into his protective embrace, not caring about boundaries any longer. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head thanking The Lord that she was safe in his arms.

She let out a small cry and he pulled away from her slightly. She clutched at her chest, her eyes squeezed shut. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed laying her down gently. He bent down to kiss her forehead and she looked up into his face and smiled weakly.

"Don't change back…please."

He studied her pleading face for a moment then answered, "Alright. But only for a little while." He grabbed a chair and sat beside the bed, stroking her hair and her face. When at last she fell asleep, he replaced the chair and returned to the dog laying beside her on the bed again.

And from then on, he never left her side. Not once. It took a few more weeks before Alexis was back to her old, happy, healthy self, and all the while, the wolf stayed her loyal companion, Sartorius staying beside his whole reason for living.

A/N: Aww, aint it sweet? A little bitter sweet, but still…Don't think this is the end, cause it isn't. I have something big planned for the end. I'm not sure how many more chapters it will be. Maybe five or so, I'm not sure. But please keep reading. I want to thank you loyal readers for giving this story a chance. I know it's not what a lot of people want to read, but I really wanted to write it. So thank you all and please review.


	11. Chapter 11

Alexis got better and better every day. And the good results were do to more reasons than one. First, she was home. She was surrounded by family and her friends, Jasmine and Mindy came to see her often. Second, she was allowed outside. Nothing about being at the hospital had been worse than having to stay in bed in a sterile, white room for weeks.

And third, she had Sartorius. Not once did he ever leave her side. And he didn't stay as the wolf all the time. They'd often take walks down into the woods, and when they got so far, he'd change back into a human. And they'd walk together, her hand in the crook of his arm, through the hazy green forest. When they were alone like this, they felt more at ease than anywhere else. They were like two people in love-though they'd never gotten around to saying so.

And when they were back at the house and he was back to being the wolf, they'd sit in the grass beneath the shade of one of the trees, or in the bright sunshine, letting it warm their skin and their hearts. Of course, when Sartorius was the wolf, he longed to be human, to hold her in his arms and whisper softly in her ear, to tell her how much he loved her. He sincerely regretted the things he'd said and done before he'd almost lost her forever. And ever since, he'd been doing everything in his power to make it up to her. And he'd decided that he was never going to let her go.

As for Alexis, she wished the same thing. She wanted to be with him always-in his human form. But neither new how to work it out. It would be really odd if the wolf just disappeared and Sartorius came around, the two of them acting like love struck fools. Besides, her dad and brother hated him, not that he'd done anything wrong. But, men being men, they were suspicious of him after he'd brought her home unconscious that night.

And they couldn't tell her family the truth; that Sartorius was a shape shifter. Then all Hell would break loose. They'd all go crazy at the thought of him being in her room-though they'd never done anything inappropriate. They hadn't even kissed.

But neither one of them felt so sure of themselves as to cross that line. They were both nervous and afraid of what lay on the other side. And things would be really complicated if they took their relationship any further.

One day, the whole family was out front cleaning in the garage. The wolf, meanwhile, lay at the corner of the house resting. He watched lazily as they carried boxes and decorations and all kinds of things from the garage to the house, or to the car. He'd help if he could, but lifting boxes wasn't exactly easy to do when you had paws instead of hands.

When a black car slowed and stopped at the end of the drive, they were all on edge. Sartorius stood, his head low, ears up, and slunk to the cover of the shrubs that surrounded the house. Something wasn't right.

"Alexis, stay back," said her mother as they watched three men climb out of the car and walk towards them. They stopped a few yards away from the garage where Alexis' family stood protecting her.

"Who are you?" said Alex, remembering their last visit from an unwelcome guest.

"We're uh, just from around the neighborhood. We'd heard about what happened with…Jack. We came to send our condolences."

Alex studied the strangers, still on edge, skeptical of anyone in a fancy sports car. "Well…thank you," he said not wanting to be rude-or provoke them if they were here to cause trouble.

"No problem." The one that was doing the talking looked behind them and saw the girl. "So…how's she doing?"

"Fine," said Alex, wanting them to leave. "I think it'd be best if you left," he said casually. "Not to be rude, it's just that, after that incident, we're just leery of strangers. Not that we're accusing you gentlemen of any wrong doing."

"Of course," the man responded, but they made no move to leave.

Alex was so busy studying the man's face, waiting for something, that he did not notice the man walking behind the strangers. His wife and kids did, though. Their eyes widened. Laura was too stunned to speak, and Alexis and Atticus were holding their breath, not wanting their father to go off.

When the man that Alex was watching felt a presence behind him, he whirled to face none other than Sartorius, a gun in his hand.

"You," the man growled. Sartorius smirked as he dumped gun shells into his hand.

"Silver bullets. Hmm. Nice. Too bad they won't work." He crushed the shells in his hand, turning them to dust that dropped to the ground.

Alex exploded. "What the Hell are you doing here?"

But no one paid any attention to his outraged question. The man made to punch Sartorius, but he leapt into the air and landed between Alexis and her family and the three men, the gun still in his hand.

"T'is a shame these bullets won't work on me." He raised his eyes to the three shocked men. "But…they can do something to you." Their faces turned to horror. "But why would I want to do it the fast and easy way when it's much more fun doing it the slow and _painful_ way?" he said snapping the gun in half in one hand. The two halves hit the pavement with a metal clang.

The first man's face became resolved. "If you're not a werewolf, than what are you?"

Sartorius smirked. "Something far superior to likes of those useless curs." Then his smile faded. "Why are you here? If you try to hurt just one of them, I swear I'll kill all three of you."

"You killed Jack and the others."

"Damn right I did. People like that don't' deserve to live. They deserve to rot in Hell where they belong."

Wait, he had killed Jack? Alexis hadn't known this. Then again, she should've guessed he'd want revenge. Still, why hadn't he told her?

"You're going to pay for killing Jack."

Sartorius noticed his gaze go to Alexis and the others. "Don't you dare hurt them. Your quarrel is with me. Leave them out of this."

"True. But it was the girl who started this whole thing."

"No, you're the filthy vermin that started this whole damn thing."

One of the other two men pulled a gun and aimed it at the people behind Sartorius. The first man spoke. "Don't test us."

"Don't you dare pull that trigger."

He cocked the gun.

Sartorius jumped up and lunged at the man with the gun, changing from man to wolf. But the third man pulled something out of his pocket. Before Sartorius could even form a thought, the change was reversed as he was thrown backward, landing on his back and sliding on the concrete. "Sartorius!" yelled Alexis. He lifted his head, putting his right hand to his temple.

"What the Hell was that?" he growled, glaring at the men. Alex and Laura gasped at the fact that Sartorius and the wolf were one in the same.

The first one smirked, taking the object out of the third man's hand. "Oh, this? It's called a werestone." Sartorius was still dazed and confused, his head throbbing. The man answered his unasked question. "It doesn't matter what you are; it affects all beasts."

"Grr, and just what do you plan to do with it?" But Sartorius feared he already had the answer.

"While this stone can't kill you…yet…it weakens you." He smirked. "It's sort of like Superman and Kryptonite. Convenient, huh? Payback time, mutt. Ronny, Chase, get him."

The other two went and grabbed his arms, hauling him up and taking him back to where they were standing, pushing him to his knees. The first man stepped in front of him, taking the gun from one of the others.

"No!" screamed Alexis.

The man turned to address them. "You'd all better get in the house. You don't want to see what we're gonna do your friend, here."

"Let's go, Alexis," said her mother, her and Alex and Atticus trying to turn her away and lead her to the door that led from the garage to the kitchen.

"No!"

"Come on, Sis," said Atticus.

"No! We can't leave him! We can't! Let me go!"

The man did not wait for Alexis to be safely inside the house. He could care less. He cocked the gun and pointed it at Sartorius who's face was challenging. Then the first shot was fired. Sartorius didn't flinch, but the pain was visible in his eyes.

"No!" Alexis screamed again.

Again, another shot was fired. Then another, and another. As more and more bullets penetrated his body leaving bloody, gaping holes, the more pain he felt and the more vicious he became, throwing his head around, growling like rabid dog, And the more Alexis screamed. She broke free of her parents' hold and ran to Sartorius, but he whipped his head around.

"No!" he growled at her. "Go! Get out of here!" She just stared at him in horror taking in the many holes in his body and all the blood…lots and lots of blood. "Get in the house! Now!" he commanded. She stared back into his feral eyes, his teeth bared, for a moment, then obeyed him and ran back to her family. They quickly pushed her inside and went in after her locking the doors.

Alexis ran to the front window, tears streaming down her face as she watched more bullets pierce Sartorius' body. At last, he was nearly unconscious. Another bullet was fired…with a pitiful cry, Sartorius' head fell. Why wasn't he dead yet. God, he'd rather be dead than face another minute of this torture. The man aimed again and the one on his left, the one known as Chase, bent down and whispered into his ear.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll come to the forest on the south side of town tonight. If you don't, we'll kill your girl and her family."

One last shot was fired…

Sartorius' eyes rolled back into his head and the two men let him go. He fell to the ground in a pool of blood, unconscious. From inside the house, tears streamed down Alexis' face, her heart torn to pieces at the sight of his suffering.

The first man replaced the gun and snapped his fingers. "Ronny, Chase, let's go." The three of them climbed into the car and drove away. Alexis couldn't just stand there. She threw open the door and ran to him. "Sartorius!" She dropped to her knees in front of him, her arms cradling his head, her face buried in his hair as she cried. "No…"

Now she knew how he must have felt that day. The pain, the agony, it was so unbearable she wished she was dead.

Atticus came up behind her and crouched down to take her into his arms. She turned and sobbed into his chest. "Oh, Atticus…He can't be dead! He can't be!"

Her brother held her close and looked at Sartorius' unconscious body with sympathy for both of them. "I don't think he's dead. I'm sure he'll be fine." He remembered the day Jack had come and how the bullet seemed to go straight through him without it doing anything. His guess was that he'd be fine in the morning.

They couldn't just do nothing. They stripped off his jacket and shirt and Atticus and Alex carried him into the house. Laura cleaned him up and bandaged the wounds that had tore up his chest. The bullets seemed to have disintegrated inside him like when he'd destroyed them with his hand.

They lay him in the guest room that night but Alex had forbade his daughter from going in there to see him. Laura tried to protest, but it was useless.

But Alexis didn't heed her father's words. Late that night, she crept into the room and lay on the bed beside him, her elbow propping her up as stroked his face and his still bandaged chest. His eyes fluttered open once, but when he tried to speak, he was struck again with agonizing pain, and he faded back into unconsciousness. Alexis put her lips to his forehead and kissed him softly. She knew Atticus was right. He was going to be fine. But she still cried.


	12. Chapter 12

Running….running…as fast as he could…but not fast enough…

Howling-everywhere howling.

And a light…What was it? It pulled him closer…closer…running closer.

There was a scream…No matter how fast he ran, it got him nowhere. Another scream…He stopped, his eyes wide.

He threw back his head and howled as the shinning object pierced his chest…

Sartorius sat bolt upright, sweat covering his entire body. He clutched at his chest…Damn, it still hurt like hell. Then he heard light breathing. He turned his eyes to see Alexis laying beside him in a deep sleep. Suddenly he felt nothing but guilt. He had brought on more danger for her and her family…

He raised his eyes to look out of the window behind her. "If you know what's good for you, you'll come to the forest on the south side of town tonight. If you don't, we'll kill your girl and her family."

No…He couldn't let that happen…not to her…He clenched his teeth knowing what he had to do-unsure of what was going to happen to him if he did. He looked down at the woman lying on the bed beside him and his heart ached as well as his body. He ran his fingers through her hair and across her cheek. He didn't want to leave her, but if going was the only way to keep her safe, he'd do it.

Sartorius bend his head and kissed her cheek, nuzzling her face. "I love you…" he whispered as his left hand ran down her side. Then he pulled away to look at her one last time before he rose from the bed and went to the window. He looked up at the moon…it was full. Standing in its light seemed to strengthen him.

With a growl, he jumped from the room to the ground below and began to run to the other side of the city. He passed many people on the streets; late-night workers, partiers, people just returning home. All of them seemed shocked to see the dog running down the street at an impressive speed. It looked more like a wild dog rather than someone's pet. Was it a coyote? No one got a good look at it, it moved so fast.

When the wolf reached the woods at the south end of the city, he stopped uncertainly. What was he walking into? What awaited him in the cover of those trees? There was only one way to find out. Slowly, cautiously, he slunk into the forest. He didn't smell anything unusual, but then again he was still weak. He felt it though. Something wasn't right.

As he walked deeper and deeper into the forest, he became more uneasy. He knew he was walking into a trap. He just had no idea what was about to happen.

He reached a clearing and hesitated. It was a perfect spot for an ambush. But he moved slowly forward, his head low, searching. When he reached the center, he stopped and his head came up, his ears pricked forward. He growled.

A man dressed in all black stepped out into the clearing, the moon bathing him in its light. It was the man who was in charge of the other two that had come to the Rhodes' home earlier. Sartorius growled again. You…

"So, you decided to show up?"

Of course, Sartorius thought. I wasn't going to let you hurt Alexis.

"Please, we couldn't care less about her or the others. We simply needed to give you the incentive to come here tonight."

The wolf's eyes widened. You can hear me? How?

"Humph. You are easy to read when you are most vulnerable."

He bent his head and snarled at the man. What are you talking about?

"Oh, you'll soon find out…"

Suddenly a bright object came flying towards the wolf and he jumped to one side to avoid it. He looked at it, eyes wide with shock and terror. It was an arrow, the head made from werecrystal. Immediately he felt weaker. No…

"Yes. Get 'em, boys!"

Before Sartorius had any time to think, he was dodging arrows left and right as he ran back the way he had come. He looked back over his shoulder as he went. Damn. There must be at least twenty or thirty of them. And they were all armed with crossbows, shooting arrows made of werecrystal. He was just grateful that these little fragments weren't enough to reverse the change.

He dove for the cover of a hole in the bottom of a tree to catch his breath. How the hell was he supposed to get passed them? There was just no way to…

He had to fight them. That was his only chance. Besides, he was no coward. He would take them head-on if he had to. Or die trying. There was no other way out of this.

He ducked out of the tree and slunk around to some bushes to get a look at where they all were. He saw them scattered about, hiding behind trees, some taking posts high in their branches.

"Come on out, mutt. We know you're here. Show yourself!"

Sartorius lowered his head and crept to the back of the pack of filthy humans. He couldn't take them all out, but he had to do something. He leaped from the shelter of the bushes and at the man in the very back. His head whipped around just as the wolf's jaws locked around his neck and snapped it off with a wet pop and crack. The man fell to the ground in a pool of blood, the wolf on all fours beside him, his head low, growling, his teeth and face stained with the man's blood.

Immediately, arrows were fired and the wolf ran into the fire, dodging them. He leapt at one man, then another, taking them out with quick snaps of their arms or necks. A few of them were running out of arrows and they ran to gather ones that had missed the wolf. And that's when Sartorius would catch them. One man came at him, bow lost, arrow in hand. Sartorius jumped up onto the side of a tree and leapt at the man's face, taking his head clean off.

But there were still so many. He was surrounded now, no where to run. This was it, he thought. But he didn't let his fear show. He growled and snarled furiously. The lead man stepped forward.

"Well, well, back to square one, eh, mutt?"

Sartorius growled and lunged for the ignorant bastard, but suddenly something was around his neck, pulling him back. He stumbled backward and regained his footing. Then he looked over his shoulder to see a man holding a rope that he'd gotten around the wolf's neck. Sartorius lunged at him, but another rope caught his muzzle, clamping it shut and pulling him back again. He turned and leapt for another man and a third rope wound around his back legs causing him to fall to the ground. He struggled to get free but it was no use. He was being pulled from three sides and he could barely breathe. Finally he stopped wriggling and lay limp upon the hard earth, his eyes shut as darkness overtook him. With all the werecrystal around him, he was helpless to escape.

"Let's see you get out of that," said the leader smirking as he aimed an arrow at the wolf. Only one shot was needed to end it. And victory would be his. This mongrel was going to pay for killing his best friend.

"NOOO!!!" The wolf heard a scream and a grunt before the thud of something hitting the ground. Then there were angry cries and shouts and he heard arrows whizzing through the air. He thought that this was it…

Suddenly, he was cut free and he could breath again. He chocked, trying to fill his lungs with air as he was pulled up onto his feet and almost drug away. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, away from the flying arrows, still a little light-headed. Then he looked to his left and gasped.

Alexis…?

"Come on! Hurry!" she yelled as they ran.

The wolf leapt at her as an arrow came towards her head and the two of them tumbled off of a steep cliff landing next to a creek. As they lay there, Sartorius changed back to himself, panting. Then he sat up and grabbed the girl beside him, anger and fear making him shake.

"What the HELL are you doing here?!" He growled.

"I knew you were in trouble. I had to find you-"

"Damn it!" he choked, pulling her against him.

"Damn you, mutt! You and that little bitch better show yourselves! NOW!"

Sartorius growled. "Go! Find a place to hide. You can't get out of here now."

"I'm not going to leave you," she protested. "I can help."

"No you can't! Hell, I can hardly defend myself, let alone having to worry about you!"

"Get out here, you filthy bastard hound!"

"Damn it, stay here!" he ordered as he changed back and leapt back up the cliff to confront the men. One was at the very top and was the next one to be beheaded by the wolf's knife-like claws.

He ran at another and took off one of his arms. Then he ripped open the chest of another, the heart falling to the ground. The wolf's claws punctured it, wanting to take satisfaction in the killing of each bastard that met his fangs and claws.

Alexis climbed up the wall of the cliff. There was no way she was going to let Sartorius get killed. She had to do something to help…When she reached the top, she saw the wolf latch onto another man's neck with his jaws and snap it in half. Then a man, armed only with a bow, made to whack the animal. But Sartorius latched onto that, too, and snapped it in half as well before ripping the man's chest open.

Then he was running again-toward another man. But then…Alexis called out to him, but it was too late. A man hidden up in the branches of one of the trees fired and arrow that hit the wolf right in the heart in mid leap…

Alexis screamed as she watched him glow in a white light that engulfed him as he fell to the ground. It seemed that he was being shocked; electricity erupted from around the arrow, but the wolf lay limp in the dirt. Slowly, his life force was being drained form him…and he was dying…

Alexis watched the scene in horror. No, he couldn't be dead…he just couldn't be. Her heart felt as if it was being ripped from her chest.

The leader stepped forward and looked down at the lifeless carcass, triumph in his eyes. He nudged its head with the toe of his boot and it flopped back to the ground. Yep, it was dead alright. He smirked.

Alexis watched as the man bent down and reached out a hand to pick the dog up. She was mad now. She got to her feet and ran for the bastard responsible for this mess. "Get away from him!" she cried as she ran to tackle him. He reached out a hand and grabbed her by the neck.

"Pathetic wench," he growled flinging her to the ground. She came after him again, but he threw her against a tree and she collapsed from the force of the impact. Again, he reached for the dog. When he picked it up, he flung it over his shoulder. Alexis attacked him again sending him stumbling forward and crashing onto the ground, the wolf's lifeless body landing in the dirt.

"Why you little brat!" She stood and backed away as he drew a gun, many others coming towards her. She wasn't afraid. Instead, her face showed defiance and hatred. They had killed him…They had killed him and they deserved to rot in Hell!

As the men came toward her, she almost wished they'd kill her. She wasn't sure if she could live knowing that Sartorius's death came about because of her.

Then she saw a faint glow on the ground just behind the leader, and none of them seemed to notice it. She watched it grow bigger…What…?

Her eyes widened. It was him…

The leader heard a growl and he and the others turned their attention to the body of the wolf that lay just behind him.

"What the hell…?" breathed the leader. The bright, white mass began to move as growls came more frequently. The men seemed stunned. He was unable to move or to even speak as he watched bright, purple eyes open and stare at him. It was the wolf…He wasn't the same. His fur was snow white and his feet didn't touch the ground as he floated to put himself between Alexis and the men that sought to harm her.

Alexis stared in disbelief just as the rest of them did. What was happening?

The wolf's back arched, then he threw back his head and let out the purest of sounds as a strange and powerful light erupted from his body and spread outward in front of him. The men were blinded and they all screamed in anguish and…pain? The light seemed to pierce each one of them, destroying them…but not quite…The howl continued as Alexis, too, was blinded. She stumbled backwards and bumped into a tree. She slid to the ground out of a sudden weariness.

When she opened her eyes, she gasped, her brown eyes twinkling.

Standing with his back to her was Sartorius, beautiful, sparkling angel wings sprouting from his shoulder blades. Little lights seemed to be emanating from them and drifting upward toward the full moon overhead. As he stood there, he seemed…majestic and surreal. How could this be…? He was alive…Wasn't he…?

It was then that she realized that all of the men where passed out on the ground, but somehow she knew they weren't dead.

Slowly, Sartorius turned to her, his eyes bright. And suddenly, Alexis cared about nothing except him. All she could see was him as he stepped towards her stooped to his haunches in front of her. She wasn't sure why, but tears streamed down her cheeks as she buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, his great wings enfolding them both, providing a feeling of absolute protection.

"It's alright, my love. It's over."

She looked up into his eyes. "But how…What happened…?"

"It's…a long story that we have plenty of time to tell. But right now, we need to go home."

"Home?" She seemed to forget that there was a world outside of themselves. He pulled her close and kissed her hair, his hands running along her back soothingly.

"Come," he said helping her to her feet. "We must go now."

She was still dazed as she climbed onto his back, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. With that, his feet left the ground and they floated upwards out of the forest on silver wings and headed home. Halfway there, he looked over his shoulder and found her asleep. He smiled to himself.

He felt different…better-like the world had no weight on him anymore. He was free and his soul flied as free as he was now. He had no more cares, no more worries. Truthfully, he had no idea what had just happened, but something inside him told him it didn't matter. He was now as he should be; the guardian in it's truest form. How? He didn't know, nor did he care. All he knew was that he had found his true purpose, and in doing so, released himself from the confines of an unknown, miserable existence.

When the big house came into view, he descended easily landing on the balcony just outside her bedroom. The French doors were askew and he pushed them open and silently walked inside and to the bed. Gently, he took the girl from his back and lay her upon the sheets, pulling the covers up to her chin.

What he felt then was like nothing he'd ever experienced. The anger, the fear, the urgency, everything that had troubled him had vanished. Now, he saw only her, lying there so peacefully, so…

He bent to kiss her softly on her slightly parted lips and found that she tasted better than he'd ever imagined. But he'd dare not disturb her, for it would be a sin.

Instead he drew away and backed toward the open French doors. He hated to leave her, but he had to. Besides, she needed to sleep. Once out on the balcony, his wings lifted him up into the night sky. He caught one last look at her before floating off into the light of the moon.

Alexis awoke at the sound of a distant howl. She rose from the bed groggily and headed out onto the balcony. Far off in the distance, she saw a faint, glowing figure-that of a wolf howling.

A/N: One more chapter. He's not dead! Don't be alarmed, he's not dead! I didn't have the heart to kill him…Besides, he'd never forgive me…

Sar: Darn right I wouldn't. You killed me in Blood Passion. I still haven't forgiven you for that one.

Me: Oh hush. You know you're still my favorite. Tumor…

Sar: *sighs* Not that again…Give me and Kakashi a break will you? You and Stella are a pain sometimes.

Me: You know you like the attention…

Sar: *blushes embarrassed* Ahem…Just get back to the Author's Note…

Me: Okay…

Anyway, like I said, one more chapter. Sorry this one kind of sucked until the end, but as I've said before, I'm not a good choreographer. But, I tried…Please review.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: No, Sar is not an angel. He's just…well, not really sure. He's still a guardian, just…different. Instead of wanting revenge on anyone who messes with Alexis or her family, he's more peaceful. Don't ask me why I did that, I don't know. I just thought of it and liked it okay. Lol Anyway, last chapter. Enjoy!

It had been a month. And not one sign of him. Well, this wasn't particularly true. She had sensed him always with her. That's why she hadn't gone into a depression. She knew he hadn't abandoned her. But she still missed him terribly. When she would walk outside in the back yard, she'd sit on the swing and dream of him. She'd take walks in the woods and wonder where he was. And at night, she'd lay in bed and imagine him there with her, holding her close to him so she could feel his heart beating.

Alexis walked out on the front porch one afternoon with a broom to sweep the leaves into the yard. Her parents and brother were out front as well taking advantage of the last remaining days of nice weather to get some chores done. Alexis walked to the edge of the steps and leaned against a pillar as she watched the clouds rolling by on that blustery day, the sun smiling down on the world giving a little warmth. She was thinking about him again. Her mind had been filled with nothing else since that night he'd disappeared.

As for what had happened that night, she had not a clue. She remembered quite clearly that he had been dead, but somehow, he'd been revived. She wasn't sure what he did to those men, but it somewhat disturbed her. And those wings…Where had those come from? And where had he gone?

Suddenly the breeze blew a little harder, he hair whipping around her face. She didn't know why, but her eyes were drawn downwards toward the side walk.

And there at the base of the steps sat a wolf. Its coat was pure silver, sparkling in the sunlight. And its eyes were a deep violet…

It whined, its tail wagging slightly. Alexis stared at it in shock and elation. And right before her eyes-and everyone else's-the wolf was suddenly a man, his long, dark hair shinning as were his eyes as he looked up at her.

She could hardly believe her eyes. Was it really him? It had to be. No one else could be that beautiful. She leapt down two steps and came into his embrace, her heart singing a wonderful tune. A tear fell from her eye out of joy and relief. She had begun to think that she'd never see him again. But here he was, holding her like the very first time. And his heart was beating…He wasn't dead.

"Sartorius…I've missed you."

His hand ran through her golden hair as he held her to him. He'd longed to touch her for what seemed like ages now. And here she was in his arms and it was clear that she loved him as much as he loved her. "Oh, Alexis, I've missed you, too."

She pulled back a little to look into his face. "Where were you? Why didn't you come back?"

He knew this question was coming, and he regretted it had to be asked at all. He brushed his knuckles against her cheek. "I didn't want to leave. But I had to."

"Why?" He could tell that his absence had pained her and he felt extreme guilt.

He looked down at her hand that rested against his chest, then turned to her family who was watching the with expressions of resignation. "May we…go for a walk?" he asked of her parents. Alex seemed very unhappy about his presence. No doubt he'd hoped Sartorius would be gone for good. However, Laura gave him a reprimanding look, then nodded her consent to Sartorius's request.

"Much obliged," he said bowing his head slightly in a respectful gesture. He turned back to Alexis, offering his arm, and she took it before they strolled down the walk and down the street.

When they were far enough away from the house, Alexis turned her attention back to Sartorius. "So, why _did_ you leave?"

Sartorius looked at her, his eyes conveying his deepest apologies. "Alexis," he appealed. "I'm sorry. For everything."

"What-"

"Just let me explain." He looked her straight in the eye as they continued walking. "I was a fool. When this whole thing began, I had disciplined myself-told myself that I was a guardian: nothing more. I believed that as a guardian, my sole purpose was to protect those who needed me. And I wasn't aware that the only one who needed me was you." His eyes were sad and full of regret as he continued. "I was sure that I had no time for such emotions-that I was not supposed to have them. So I avoided you, afraid of becoming attached to you. I was so sure that that was the right thing to do. But I was wrong."

He turned away, ashamed of himself. "Then I almost lost you…and tried so hard after that to make it up to you-to show you that I cared about you, that I needed you. And…danger came knocking again. I would have ignored the incident if it hadn't been for the fact that I would risk putting you in harm's way again." When he looked back at her, she saw the confession in his eyes.

"So…what are you trying to say?"

They stopped and he turned to take her hands in his. "Alexis…I love you. And I always want to be there to protect you, no matter what. I'll never leave your side. That is…if you'll have me." His eyes were pleading, begging her to understand.

"But…why did you leave? Where have you been? I thought…I thought you didn't want me…"

His face became pained at her words. Of course he wanted her. Hadn't she heard him? He loved her. "I…I wasn't sure…I didn't know if staying with you was for the best. I thought that as long as I was here, you'd always be put in danger…"

"That's not true…"

"I realize that now…" He placed his hand on her cheek. "I realized that…my feelings for you couldn't be ignored. And I guess…if danger ever comes our way again, we'll face it together." Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I love you."

She couldn't help but let the tears go as hugged him. It felt so good to be in his arms and know she'd never have to leave. She loved him, and he loved her. It was that simple. And whether her father liked it or not, they'd always be together. If by chance, danger should come their way, they'd stand side by side and fight it.

Neither Heaven nor Hell could separate them.

A/N: Well, that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed the story. And once again, I'd like to thank you all for giving this story a chance. It's different, I know, and most people hate stories this AU. But I really liked the idea and ran with it.

Sar: I wish I could do that.

Me: You can. And don't forget about that horse I gave you.

Sar: *chuckles* I won't. Blaze and I are buddies. Anyway, on behalf of both of us, thank you for reading and please review!

Both: Byez!


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